


Rewind to a New Beginning

by DeafAngel2000



Category: H2O: Just Add Water
Genre: Bullying, California, Cleo Sertori (mentioned) - Freeform, Emma Gilbert (mentioned) - Freeform, Eventual Romance, Expanding on H2O lore, F/M, Fanfiction, Flashbacks, Friendship, Gen, Happen the same year as S3, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Suicidal Attempt, Just a few months apart, Lewis McCartney (guest appearances), MERMAID LORE, Mako Island, Mental Breakdown, Mental Health Issues, Original Character(s), Originally Posted on FanFiction.Net, Redemption, References to Depression, Rikki Chadwick (mentioned) - Freeform, Sea Monsters, Supernatural Elements, emotional support dog/bodyguard, references to anorexia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-06
Updated: 2020-04-06
Packaged: 2021-03-01 18:27:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 53
Words: 217,964
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23511568
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DeafAngel2000/pseuds/DeafAngel2000
Summary: The past events on Mako Island and consistent bullying after coming to the United States left Charlotte Watsford's mind in tatters, emotionally and mentally. After months of careful therapy, she's determined to live her best human life when her mom relocates them to Los Angeles, California. Charlotte's content with living a normal life....until a hidden menace from below the sea drags her back into the supernatural mess she left behind and discovers the world of mermaids and magic isn't done with her yet!Can she weather the storm heading her way or will she be drowned beneath the cold depths of the ocean?
Kudos: 2





	1. Chapter 1

The past events on Mako Island and consistent bullying after coming to the United States left Charlotte Watsford's mind in tatters, emotionally and mentally. After months of careful therapy, she's determined to live her best human life when her mom relocates them to Los Angeles, California. Charlotte's content with living a normal life....until a hidden menace from below the sea drags her back into the supernatural mess she left behind and discovers the world of mermaids and magic isn't done with her yet!

Can she weather the storm heading her way or will she be drowned beneath the cold depths of the ocean?


	2. New Start, New Beginning

"Charlotte! C'mon! The faster you bring in those boxes, the faster we can catch a break!" her mom, Annette yelled as she brought the last few boxes into the house.

They had just moved into a new house across America. From Atlanta, Georgia to Santa Clarita, California, no less. Well, while her mom works in Los Angeles, as a chief in a small, but a popular restaurant, they were living in Valencia, Santa Clarita, a county in California. And, to be honest, she's glad to be so far away since...

Charlotte shook her head. Though she knew she couldn't forget what happened in Australia, she would try to change herself, personality speaking, and start fresh.

Well, this is my new life, she thought. Then, her mom came in from the kitchen.

"Well, isn't this great? Here we are, living in a beautiful house that's a short ride to the beach, the mall, or wherever you teenagers go," she said as she hugged her, "Listen, I got a call from my boss and I have to get going. Do you mind if I leave you here?"

Charlotte shook her head.

"Well, thanks." Her mom grabbed the keys and headed to the car. "I'll pick something up on the way home! Feel free to roam around!" her mom said as she went out the door. Charlotte waited until the sound of the car's engine was far in the distance.

She looked around the 2-story house. It had 2 bedrooms upstairs and 1 bedroom downstairs, 3 bathrooms (meaning she has one to herself), a living room, a gourmet kitchen, and a small pool with a big, grassy in the backyard. She could see what her mom meant when she said it was the "American Dream House'' when she brought it. Then, she went back into the living room, which happened to be full of boxes.

"Well, if you're going to change yourself Charlotte, start learning to make yourself useful," she said to herself.

Immediately, she got to work. First, she put all the boxes into the room where they belong( meaning the kitchen boxes went into the kitchen, her boxes went into her room, her mom's boxes went into her room, and put all the bathroom stuff in hers and her mom's bathroom.) After that, she spent 3 hours unpacking EVERY SINGLE THING and putting it in order. Thank goodness the moving men brought and moved the furniture in early and already put them in the according to rooms, so she had everything where it needed to go.

She looked at her watch.

5:30 pm.

She's been busy. She looked around the house again. It barely looks like she just moved in. Looking at her watch again, knowing she still had a few hours left until her mom got back. She went upstairs and changed from her simple t-shirt and jeans to a long white, sleeveless dress and white sandals. She made her long, red hair into a French braid and grabbed her sunglasses.

Well, I'm ready to go, she thought. She went downstairs, left a note on the kitchen counter, and left the house.

She boarded a bus at the bus stop on the corner and the driver said "Well, you're new here, aren't ya?"

She nodded. "Yeah, I just moved in with my mom. She's gone at the moment so I'm doing a little exploring. What's the most popular place for teens to go?"

The driver laughed and said, "Tell me your name and I'll drop you off at my favorite site personally."

She smiled. "Charlotte Watsford."

The driver smiled and said, "Take a seat, Charlotte, but beware the drive will be a little long and out of my jurisdiction." Charlotte nodded and sat down.

An hour later, the driver yelled "CHARLOTTE WATSFORD!"

The bus was empty, except for her and the driver. So, she got up and went to him.

"Here's your stop, now I got to go. Be here at 9 so I can pick you up, alright?"

"Okay," she said. As she got off the bus, the driver said one more thing.

"Hey Charlotte?"

She turned to him.

"Yeah?"

He grinned.

"Welcome to Paradise Cove."


	3. A Strange Day at the Beach

As the bus rode away, Charlotte looked at the beach. It was a definite looker, and strangely familiar, but she had to find out where she was. Suddenly, she spotted a restaurant called the " _Paradise Cove Beach Café"._ She sighed and went into the café. The theme of the restaurant looked like something out of a beach hang out in the movies. The place was packed. Everyone was either sitting inside the restaurant or sitting outside enjoying the sun.

"NEXT!"

Charlotte jumped. She didn't realize that she had stepped in line. In front of her was an old woman, probably younger than her grandmother. Her grayish-black hair was in a messy bun, her skin didn't have any wrinkles but was baby pink, and had deep blue eyes that looked like she's seen the beginning of the world and everything since. She was wearing an apron, had a pen and notebook in hand, and was looking up at her expectantly.

"Well, what are you ordering?" she asked. Charlotte looked around in her dress pockets and realized that she left her wallet. At home.

"Oh! I am so sorry. I don't have any money, but I was wondering if-"

"Leave," the woman said sternly.

"But-but I need to know where I am and-" she started.

"Where you need to go is out of this restaurant and come back with money!" the woman whispered angrily. Charlotte knew it was a losing battle, but that didn't stop her from grabbing the woman's arm as she tried to leave.

''Just listen to me!" Charlotte exclaimed. The woman looked her right in the eye and suddenly... everything faded.

_Water. Water was the first thing she saw. The sand and the corals stayed in place as the fish passed by. Fish? She then realized that she was underwater. But how was she breathing? She looked down and saw that where her feet should be, it was a tail. A TAIL?! She gasped. Hadn't she already learned her lesson? But this tail was different. Instead of the copper-orange tail her old one used to be, this one was bluish-red color and it seemed to sparkle a little. How was that possible?_

_Come._

_She heard a voice. A feminine one. It sounded so old, yet so young and soothing at the same time._

_Come to me, my precious Charlotte._

_Suddenly, she had the urge to swim. Then, she did. She was a little out of practice since it's been a year since she had a tail. Suddenly, she was moving through the water at ease. She soon found herself swimming fast like she was swimming at the speed of light like there was nothing to stop her at all! Oh, how she didn't even realize how much she missed being a mermaid!_

_Come to me, my sweet precious Charlotte._

_She didn't need any more encouragement. She swam to the voice she, for some strange reason, instantly loved so much. She swam with an open heart as if her life depended on it._

_Come..._

She woke up the moment cold water hit her straight in the face.

"Brendan! What did I tell you?" a strong, stern voice yelled.

"Easy, wake anyone who been frozen by Gram's up with cold water," a young voice said cockily.

"Why you little-"

"STOP! She's awake!"

A female voice said. Charlotte opened her eyes and looked up. A man who looks about in his mid-30s looked down at her. He had black hair, tan skin, and eyes the color of night. He had a big built and looked at her sternly. Beside him was a slender-looking boy, probably around 13, who was holding a bucket and grinning in amusement. He also had tan skin, but brown eyes and shaggy brown hair. The woman looked just like the boy and was pregnant. She was looking at her in concern and relief.

"Honey, are you alright?" she asked.

"She wasn't turned to stone, so I give her the O.K.!" the boy said, giving her a thumb up. The man scolded him.

"Brendan, this is no time for jokes who knows what she saw!" Wait? What does he mean about 'what I saw'?

The woman turned to them and said "Hush you two!" and turned towards her, "are you alright?" Charlotte nodded.

"Yeah, I'm a little _wet,"_ she said, referring to Brendan _,_ "from the splash but its all good. Who are you?" she asked. The woman introduced herself.

"I'm Karen and this is Jonathan," she gestured to the man, "my husband, and this is Brendan,'' she gestured to the boy who gave her the peace sign.

"'Sup." Karen rolled her eyes.

"He's my son AND MY PRIDE AND JOY!" she said as she started to kiss him on the cheeks.

"Moooommm," the boy whined. Charlotte smiled at them.

 _They must be close_ , she thought. Then, she heard a cough and turned around.

Charlotte swore her heart stopped.

It was the old woman, only her hair was down and was wearing what looked to be a nightgown. Charlotte tried to get up but realized that she was on the floor. So, she stood up and faced her. Karen stopped kissing Brendan and introduced her.

"This is my mother, Laguna. Mom this is..."

''Charlotte. Charlotte Watsford, "Charlotte said. She held up her hand for a handshake, which Laguna reluctantly shook. Suddenly, she remembered something. She turned to Karen.

"I have two questions. 1. Where am I? And 2. How long have I been out?"

"You were out for 30 minutes and you're in Malibu, sweetie, and our office," she answered. Malibu? No wonder this beach felt familiar. She's seen enough movies and shows to know what it looked like.

"Well, I'd love to stay and chat, but I got to get going," she said as she was walking out the room. Suddenly, her stomach growled.

Karen laughed and said, "Well, right after you eat first." Charlotte nodded in embarrassment.

The restaurant was less crowded and the family made her some to-go box of salmon burgers, macadamia coconut shrimp, some fries, a seaweed salad, much to Brendan's disgust, and a coke. After thanking the family many times, she was about to leave when Laguna stopped her outside the restaurant.

"I just wanted to... apologize for the way I acted earlier. I should have just answered your questions." She turned to leave when Charlotte stopped her.

"Wait! When I touched you, I had a ... you know, never mind. I'll just be on my way." She started to leave when she heard her asked: "Was it like a dream, only it felt like something more?"

Charlotte turned around. "Yes."

"Then tell me what it was about," she said. It was like Charlotte was a spy and she needed to extract information from her. Charlotte was startled at her persistence but told her what happened.

"I was underwater, and I had... I had a tail, a bluish-red one and it sparkled. Then a woman's voice called me, telling me to come to her. For some reason, it felt like I had known and loved that voice for a long time like it was my mom or something. I started swimming fast like I was free from prison or something. What does it mean?"

Though she thought she was going to get a straight answer, Laguna just shook her head, like she was told of a bad omen. "That reminds me of a legend, but I can't tell you now. Request me the next time you come and we'll talk." And with that, she walked away.

An hour later, Charlotte found herself standing at the edge of the pier. From a brochure she found, it said that it was 600 ft long in the 1980s, but a storm ended up damaging it, causing it to be 220ft long. The pier has a spectacular 360-degree view from Palos Verde to Point Dume, so you can watch the sunset. And it was living up to it. Though the restaurant looked beautiful at sunset, the view from the pier was amazing and if you lean close, you'll feel like you're on top of the world.

Suddenly, Charlotte saw a full moon on the horizon. She remembers the moon well. It was what had made her a mermaid in the first place and was the one that took her powers away. Not that she was mad about it. After the way she abused her powers like that, she had every right to lose them. And she was glad. She doesn't want to end up like that anymore. Not evil, but just ordinary. After all, the ordinary is okay, right?

_Come._

That voice again. It was calling her.

_Come to me Charlotte._

And how did it know who she was?

 _Come_...

She didn't realize she was doing it, but she started to climb on the edge of the pier. She looked down. Below here would be water if she jumped.

_Come..._

She saw the words _NO JUMPING OR DIVING_ spray-painted on the side of the pier.

_Come..._

_...come_

She jumped.

The water. Flowing water passed through her as she landed in it. It felt so...calm and relaxing like it wanted her to be there. She missed the feeling.

_Come..._

She needed to go to that voice. She needed to be with it.

Beep...Beep...

Something was wrong. She's not a mermaid anymore. She shouldn't be moonstruck.

Beep...Beep...

_Come..._

No. She won't come. She won't be influenced. She won't be a mermaid. Never again.

She tried to open her mouth, but only water entered. She couldn't breathe. She...needed...oxygen.

BEEP...BEEP...

_Come..._

NO!

Charlotte rushed back to the surface. The moment fresh air hit her lungs, she swam back to shore. She looked at her now water-filled watch. 9:00pm. The bus was here and it possibly just saved her life. She quickly grabbed and put on her sandals, which she had left by a beach chair. She had to get there. She still felt the feeling of the water. It was pulling her...killing her.

 _Had I just tried to drown myself?_ she thought. Finally, she made it, but the driver was not happy.

"Where the heck was ya? Do you want to be left- why are you soaking wet?" he asked. She looked at herself. Her dress was so wet, it was almost see-through. Her hair was drenched. And she lost her sunglasses. The only good thing that she wasn't wearing any makeup or else it would have smeared.

"I fell."

As pathetic as that sounded, she got on the bus. The driver handed her a towel.

"Well, since you're alright, I'll just take you to the mall next time. O.K.?" She looked at him. Part of her wanted to yell at him for leaving her at an unknown place. But he kept his promise to come back for her.

She smiled and said "O.k." as she sat down and dried herself. Because this was the new Charlotte, a girl who won't hold grudges over others.

As the bus started to ride off, no one noticed an old woman standing in the middle of the road, watching it drive off.

"So, it's her that she wants. Oh no."

As soon as Charlotte got off the bus, the first thing she did was run into the house, change out of her wet clothes and take a shower before her mom got home.

30 minutes later, her mom walked in the door with a bag of Mexican food in her hand.

"Honey?" she asked as she wandered through the house. Annette was amazed at how cleaned up the house was. It was like they hadn't just moved in. She found her daughter watching TV in the living room, her back facing her.

"Hi honey," she said as she shoved the bag in Charlotte's face.

She laughs and said, "I'm sorry I'm late, I was doing a little site seeing, what did you do while I was gone?" Charlotte shrugged her shoulders.

"Nothing much just unpacked the boxes and stuff." Her mom smiled.

"I see that. Normally, you would just place the boxes in the rooms they go in, now you're unpacking them?" she hugged her, "what would I do without you. I'm going to go take a shower, while you eat. Is that O.K.?" Charlotte turned to her mother.

"Mom, I might almost be an adult, but you don't have to ask for my permission all the time. You can do whatever you want, just don't drink or do drugs." The mother and daughter laughed as her mom went to take a shower.

This is the new Charlotte: useful, forgiving, responsible, hilarious, and loving. For some reason, she felt a boulder of burden lift off her.

So, _this is what it feels like to be a new person_ , she thought, _this feels great_...

But that night, wasn't anything but pleasant. As Charlotte tossed and turned all night in her, a feeling of restlessness coming over her.

_Come._

Her eyes popped out wide open and she sat straight up. That voice wasn't calling to her. It was like it haunting her, like a ghost. All the love it had been gone, only horror. Part of her wanted to find that bus driver and demand him to take her to Paradise Cove this instant. But she didn't. Her first day of school was tomorrow, and since it was her last year of high school, she hoped to keep her life as normal as possible. She hoped.


	4. Valencia High School, A Place For Any Girl, Unlike Me

**Charlotte's POV**

Beep! Beep! Beep! Bee-

Smack!

I woke up and looked at my alarm clock. 8:30 am. I groaned.

 _I'm still in the Georgia time zone,_ I thought as I sluggishly got out of bed. You see, while it's 6:00 in Georgia, it's 5:30 in California. But even with the 30 minute time difference, I still had to take a shower before 7 or else I wouldn't have enough time to do my hair, which has grown a lot over 12 months. Still feeling sluggish, I hauled myself out of bed, only to hit the floor.

 _Ouch!,_ I thought.

Though I was still groggy, the fall gave me enough energy to walk into the bathroom. As I turned on the shower to warm, I discarded my night-clothes and got in. At first, I suddenly felt dizzy, like I was about to faint and pass out. Thinking it was just the water and my head, I shrugged it off and continued to wash my body. Then, right as I was in the middle of washing my hair, I heard _it_.

_Charlotte..._

I froze. Where is this voice coming from?

_Come back to me Charlotte..._

"It's all in my head, it's all in my head, it's all in my head..." I muttered as I quickly finished washing my hair and turned the water off.

I waited. And waited. And waited. The voice didn't come back and I shuddered.

"Freaky," I muttered. After putting on my bathrobe, I went to the sink and did my morning ritual: brushing my teeth, washing my face, blow-drying my hair, etc. After that, I went into my bedroom and changed into my school clothes I brought from my closet: a red, long-sleeve plaid shirt with a white t-shirt underneath, ripped denim jeans, and white vans. Then, I spent a few minutes putting my hair into a braid that slung over my shoulder. I looked at the time. 7:30 AM. _Good,_ she thought, _I still have 30 minutes to eat._ With that, I grabbed my leather satchel and left her room.

"Mom," I said as I stuck my head into my mother's bedroom. Empty. There was evidence that my mom had been here, like the smell of her shampoo and the bathroom door opened. But her bed was made and her work stuff was gone. So, I assumed she was in the kitchen making breakfast, assuming she brought groceries.

"Mom?" I asked as I entered the kitchen. She wasn't there, but I found a McDonald's pancake platter with a note attached to it. I opened it and read:

_**Charlotte,** _

_**I'm sorry I couldn't be with you for your first day of school, but the boss called me in, saying my presence was needed at work early. I brought you some pancakes if you got hungry.** _

_**Love you,** _

_**Mom** _

I sighed. I know her job was important and all, heck, at the moment, it was what kept a roof over our heads, but couldn't she have waited to see me before she left? I sighed again and started to eat my breakfast, no matter how much it needed to be reheated.

**3rd POV**

By the time the bus came, Charlotte was already outside, enjoying the early, orange morning sky **.** As the bus pulled up, her eyes widened to see who was driving as she got on. It was the bus driver from yesterday.

"You drive school buses too? What else don't I know about you?" she asked. He winked.

"This is during the week and my name's Phil," he said humorously," hey, I wanted to apologize for leaving you in Malibu un-expectantly. No hard feelings?"

Charlotte waved her hand. "Don't worry; I had a great time there. But, next time, could you take me to a mall or something close to the beach?" The bus driver, Phil, nodded.

"Sure, and welcome to Valencia High." She smiled and took her seat. Sitting next to her was a black girl with long, smooth, black hair and was wearing a blue, flower-print summer dress with 1-inch black stilettos. Her skin was dark brown, but she had a tan that had made her slightly look like a model.

"Hi, I'm Charlotte. Charlotte Watsford," she said, offering her hand. The girl looked up and shook it." I'm Alaine. Alaine Williams."

She nodded."Nice to meet you."

Both girls smiled at each other. The two talked all along the ride and Charlotte was sure the day was starting off to a good start.

When the bus arrived at Valencia, almost immediately, everyone got off. Well, except for Charlotte. Phil wanted to talk to her.

"Hey, if you have any questions while you're here, you can find me on any bus at any bus stop," he said," and if when you're having a bad day, any day, I'll wait outside the school." She raised her eyebrow.

''Don't you have to drive other kids around?"

"I'm free at lunch," he said.

"Well, next time, can you leave me near the Paradise Cove mall next time?" she suggested. Phil nodded.

"Charlotte! Come on!" she heard Alaine exclaim from outside the waved goodbye and headed towards the school.

She had to admit, she was a bit star-struck by the site of the campus. Thankfully, Alaine gripped her hand and dragged her to the inside of the school.

"Come on!" she said, "we have to get to the bulletin board before the Seniors get there!" Before she could ask her what she meant, they finally made it to what seemed like the center of the school.

There was a large bulletin board with tons of flyers and event notices on it.

"Quick! Take out a pen and sign up for something before the seniors come and take up everything!" Alaine said as she searched through her backpack for a pen. Charlotte started to do the same thing and asked "Why do we need to sign up for something?"

"The seniors are trying to start taking over the extracurricular activities since, instead of doing these things over their 4 YEARS here, they're in a rush to do stuff to add to their many lists of achievements to put on their resumes. Those idiots." Before Charlotte could retort to that, Alaine pushed her to the board. As she looked at it, some of the fliers said:

**HAVE A LOVELY VOICE? JOIN THE VALENCIA HIGH SCHOOL CHOIR! TRYOUTS ARE ON FRIDAY 9TH FROM 5:30 PM-6:30 PM!**

**GOT A GOOD KICK? COME TRYOUT FOR THE LADY VIKINGS SOFTBALL TEAM? ON TUESDAY 13TH, SAME TIME AS CHOIR TRYOUTS! SEE YOU THERE!**

**HAVE AN ARTISTIC GOOD EYE? HAVE SCHOOL SPIRIT? BE OUR NEXT ARTIST TO PAINT OUR NEXT SCHOOL MURAL! SUBMIT YOUR ENTREES TODAY AND BE THE WINNER WILL BE ANNOUNCED IN JANUARY!**

**LIKE TO FEEL THE ADRENALINE RUSH IN THE WATER? JOIN THE VALENCIA SWIM TEAM? NEXT WEEK, SAME DAY AND SAME TIME AS CHOIR TRYOUTS!**

**ARE YOU A VOICE OF REASON? READY TO FIGHT FOR YOUR RIGHTS? JOIN SPEECH & DEBATE TODAY! WE ARE FREE TO WALK-INS!**

_WOW,_ she thought, _I can see why Alaine was in a hurry. The activities here are PRICELESS!_ Unsure of what to choose, Charlotte quickly signed up for the activities that sounded great for her.

RRRRIIIIINNNNGGGG!

Lunch.

Never in her whole life has Charlotte ever been thankful to get food in her stomach. The day had not been so pleasant to her, at all.

After signing up for the activities, Alaine found out she was a senior when she looked at her schedule, she simply rejected her like yesterday's trash, saying that she 'lied' to her, when she simply didn't ask her. Then, during Math, her first class, her teacher called her to write an equation on the board, and some guy thought it was funny to stick his foot out, causing her to fall face flat on the floor, which resulted in a trip to the nurse's office. This caused her to be tardy to her next class, English. And during P.E., the same guy who tripped her, and got detention for it, though it was fun to use her as a target during a game of dodge ball. Now, she was so sore that her skin was visibly red from the hits.

After paying for my lunch, she decided to eat at a secluded table in a corner for away from the rest of the student body.

Today wasn't her best day after all. While she was walking to her seat, she spotted Alaine sitting down with two other girls. One was a Hispanic girl with beautiful black hair and the other was a blond that reminded her of... Lewis. Only, she was a girl and had her hair in a ponytail and had on wide glasses. They looked like they were good friends, like a sisterly bond that she had yet to understand. Heck, they even had matching bracelets. She'd never seen a band like that since... since she met Cleo, Emma, and Rikki.

Though it's been a year since the 'mermaid' ordeal, 12 months to be exact, since she left in the middle of the year. She couldn't even explain how unbelievably sorry for the way she treated everyone. After she gave back the necklace to Lewis, her mom had sold her restaurant and met some guy, who is now her boss, who gave her a job in America. This resulted in a job transfer to the States. Since then, she never knew where she stood with anyone. She felt guilty about what she did. From stealing Lewis to using her powers to harm the girls, even going as far as trying to take their powers away.

After that, she became depressed. So far that...one day, she was just going to take a nap after she had come back from school and the next day, she found herself waking up in a hospital with her mom laying next to her, her eyes tear-stained. She told her that when she came to check on her, she barely had a pulse. It turned out that, in a way, she was starving herself and her stomach was practically empty. And to make it worse, she didn't remember how it felt.

When she talked to her doctor, he asked her what caused her to almost commit suicide. Charlotte knew she couldn't tell him without exposing Mako, so she told him she was having a hard time, in life. After four months of feeding tubes inside her, she was released with a prescription for anti-depressant pills.

Charlotte didn't realize she was crying until she felt something land on her hand. She looked down and saw the wetness glisten from her hand. Wiping her tears away, she grabbed her half-eaten lunch and threw it away as she rushed out of the cafeteria. She went to find a teacher and tell them that she didn't feel good. Well, that didn't need any more encouragement.

Her eyes were puffy, her skin was red, along with her skin turning pale, and she had a churning sickness in her stomach. The teacher wrote her a pass and wished well. But she wasn't going home. She threw the pass away and headed off campus to find Phil. She wanted to leave. Her mom told her to never run away from her problems. But now wasn't an option. She was about to waste probably countless hours trying to find him... but there was no need. She saw Phil leaning on the side of the bus, waiting for her.

"Hey, Miss Red Skin. There are no malls near Paradise Cove, but that doesn't mean you can't have a good time, right?" he said, "So, you ready to go?"


	5. I Find A Bodyguard and A Friend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ( I looked to see when season 2 aired and it was from 2008-2009. So, the time period here is 2009-2010)

Well, they did go to the mall, but it was on short notice. The principal called Phil in, telling him to come in since there was a transportation issue with the football team.

"Well, looks like I can't take you to the beach, how about a mall near your place," he suggested. Charlotte thought for a moment. They didn't have enough time to go to the beach. So, why not?

"Know any good malls nearby ?" she asked.

"I suggest the Town Center Mall. It's a few minutes from your place and has a ton of clothing stores and restaurants. Do you have any cash on you?"

She nodded. As much as she knew she didn't want to admit it, she had worked tons of odd jobs and being a good negotiator that she was, sort of, she made $3-400 and that was on her debit card.

"Yeah, I have enough. Don't wait for me, I'll get my mom to pick me up or I'll come up with something," she said. Then, he dropped her off at the front of the center. As she got off the bus, he said "Good luck and if the slightest thing goes wrong, call 911." Charlotte rolled her eyes.

"Yes, dad."

Phil snorted as he started the engine and drove off.

**Charlotte's POV**

When I entered the mall, I honestly that the size didn't matter. The Cinema movie theater was the first place I wanted to go, but I decided against it. I might have come here to avoid my disastrous day at school, but I needed to get some other things. But as I walked past jewelry booths, toy stores, and small clothing departments ( _Note to self, go to various boutiques for prom dresses,_ I thought), I was just starting to underestimate the size until I found a Walmart! I mean, in a mall, a store as big as Walmart usually had its building. But, now I can see why the mall is so big. It houses one of the most popular stores in the country. Suddenly, I remembered that the refrigerator at home was empty. I smirked. This could be fun.

"That will be $150.27, plus $37 for tax," the woman at the cash register said. I brought out my credit card and paid for it. The woman smiled.

" Have a nice day," she said as I walked out of Walmart with a basket full of groceries. I had to admit, I did the best when it came to grocery shopping. When your single parent is a chief, you always have to be one step ahead of them. And by that, I mean, I had gotten half the stuff that was on my mom's grocery list:

1\. Vegetables

2 onions

2 pineapples

6 potatoes

6 bags of broccoli florets

8 bell peppers

2\. Fruit

1 box of strawberries

5 apples

10 lemons and limes (5 each)

3 bananas

3 oranges

3\. Meat

1 lb. of ground beef

steak

bacon

4\. Dairy

2 gallons of Milk

1 carton of eggs

butter

flour

sugar

5 spices ( varies)

cheese ( mixed)

5\. Beverages

Coca Cola

Lemonade

1 pack of water

This only made up half the basket and I needed to go shopping. So, I decided to go to what seemed to be a new store and they just happened to have a few boxes lying around. The manager gladly let me use the boxes to pack the groceries in and even told me to leave the boxes inside the store until I had to only thing that surprised me was that no one seems to question my age, but then again, I'm almost 18. So, I almost look like an adult. Later, I decided to look around some more. Walmart wasn't the only big store here. There was an L.A. Fitness, Abercrombie & Finch, Filene's Basement, and other stores. I looked at a pamphlet and read the mall's history. It turns out that when 2013 comesit marks the 100th anniversary. And since then, it's expanded.

_Grrrr..._

I looked down at my stomach. _I must've not eaten enough lunch at school_ , I thought. I sighed to myself and went outside.

**3rd POV**

The moment Charlotte stepped outside, the sun was blinding and burning. She had also forgotten how hot California could get during the day. So, she took off her plaid shirt and wrapped it around her waist, exposing her t-shirt and her now de-redden skin. She started to walk along the sidewalk, partly people-watching as she saw others taking and enjoying others company, partly rushing to find the food court. Then, she saw a big sign that said " _FOOD PAVILION_ " on top of a big opening in between two buildings. She went to have a look and her mouth widened.

The food court was outside.

_Grrrr..._

Her stomach growled again and she complied. As she walked into the pavilion, she noticed the different types of food stands there. There was Taco Bell, KFC, McDonald, Wendy's, and a lot more. Though, she was more than delighted when she found her favorite restaurant, Veggieland.She loved that restaurant. It was her mom's boss's idea to promote healthy food to kids. It sort of works like McDonald's with the toys, but instead of promoting fast food, it was healthy food, the menu was courtesy of her mom. Though the age level was supposed to be from 12 months to 10 years old, everyone liked it so much that even teens and adults came, even Charlotte. Though the restaurant was a small food stand like the others, it did not disappoint.

As she walked up to the stand, she reached for her wallet and it fell to the ground, with the contents spilling out credit cards and everything.

Darn! she as she got down. As she was picking it up, somebody stooped down and started to help her.

When they were done, she wasn't looking at the person until she heard the person ask "Are you alright?"

She looked up, she saw a tan guy with black hair and bluish-purple eyes, probably a birth defect. He looked like a surfer since he was wearing baggy shorts and a tight, navy blue t-shirt. Charlotte nodded.

''Yeah. Thanks for helping me.''

The guy held out his hand. "No sweat, no problem. I'm Jason."

She shook his hand. ''Charlotte.''

She gave him a small smile. She didn't want to be rude, but she just wanted to get her food and leave. She wasn't interested in anyone, but by the smile, Jason was giving her, he was interested in her.

''Well, as much as I would love to chat, I sort of hungry.'' She was trying to give him a hint to leave her alone, but he thought the opposite. Instead, he got out his wallet.

''How about I pay for your lunch and we could sit with my buddies .''

It wasn't a suggestion, but almost an order. She sighed.

This was bad.

**Charlotte's POV**

After he paid for my deluxe veggie burger, apple fries, carrots, and a side of the water - I'm not a vegan but I just so happen to love veggie burgers- Jason grabbed my tray and led mine to his friends. Most of them were older guys, probably in their twenties.

''Hey guys, look who's dining with us?'' he said as we sat down.

"Charlotte, this is Jonas," he pointed to a tall Latino,

''Devin," he pointed to a tall black guy,

''Marick," he pointed to a blond who also had an athletic built,

''and my little brother, Jose,'' he referred to a younger-looking version of him. It wasn't until then that I realized that Jason was a little older than the rest. I started to slowly eat my food and kept my head down.

They had started talking like I wasn't there until I heard a gruff voice asked ''So, what school are you attending?''

I looked up to see that it was Devin who asked.

''I just started going to Valencia High today,'' I said. Suddenly, they all stopped talking and looked at me.

''So, your 18?'' Jose asked.

I shook my head and said ''I'm still 17,'' I said. I didn't notice Jason's hand on my pants until I felt his hand ride up a little _too_ close to my pant's zipper. I instantly got up from my seat. The guys now stared at me, their once calm eyes were now hungry, like a pack of wolves that had found their next meal.

Me.

So, I did the most logical thing to do...

I bolted.

**3rd POV**

As Charlotte sprinted out of the pavilion and ran onto the unusually empty sidewalks, she listened for footprints if they were running after her. She wanted to get back into the mall, not only to make sure Phil was there to pick her up, but to make sure she got witnesses. She was about to look back to check when...

WOOF!

She looked and saw a dog in front of her. It was a pit bull terrier, the ones that are used to guard junkyards. It had a coat of brownish-gold all over and white fur that followed from the bottom of its head to the belly. The ears were up, though side looked chipped off. And then she noticed the metal chain around its neck. Charlotte started to step back.

If a pit bull terrier had a chain around its neck, it must be bad, right?

But the dog didn't look interested in her, despite the angry look it had. She looked behind her and she swore her heart stopped, again. The guys from the pavilion were running towards her, and they did not look happy **.**

''Get back here you little slut! We aren't done yet!'' Jason yelled as his friends spat out curses. She looked at the dog again.

The dog still had that angry look on its face, it was looking at her like it was saying '' _What are you waiting for? RUN!''_ And she did that.

WOOF! WOOF! Grrrr...

''AAAAHHHHH!''

Charlotte turned around and could not believe the site.

The dog was biting Jason's baby maker. Jason looked like he was gonna pass out in pain and his friends were running away like little cowards.

And most of all, Charlotte didn't know if she should be screaming for help or laughing her ass off.

By the time the dog let go, Josh was running along to his friends, clutching his crouch tightly. She was about to walk away when the dog came running towards her. But instead of looking fierce, it looked really happy, with his mouth open and his tongue sticking out on the side.

You could always tell that when a dog was panting, it was also grinning like a fool. Unaware of what she was doing, she knelt as the dog came up to her and started licking her face.

''Hey, hey,'' she said as the dog stopped licking her and looked at her, ''I don't know why you're so happy. After all, you practically stopped that guy from having kids!''

The dog started to pout. Charlotte didn't know why she started talking to a dog, to begin with, especially after it just committed a violent act a moment ago, but began to smile and ruffled him around his good ear.

''But, he and his friends would have done something _very_ bad to me if you hadn't interfered. So, I forgive you.'' Then, the dog smiled, or she thinks it did and licked her again.

''So, what are you?'' she muttered as she looked in between his legs. Then, she saw a penis.

Yep, the dog was a boy. Then, she came up with an idea.

''So, I'll make a compromise. If you can protect me from people like those guys, you can come live with me, only under some ground rules. How does that sound?"

After all, this dog saved her life. How else could she repay him, despite being an animal?

WOOF! WOOF!

Charlotte took that as a yes. Then, she took a look at his eyes. His eyes were brown, but not like his coat. They were caramel brown. Suddenly, she had a good name idea on what to name him.

"Also, I need to give you a name, not too violent and not too cuddly. Would you like the name, Thomas? Your eyes remind me of a candy bar named Thomas... and that's the best name I can come up with."

WOOF! WOOF!

She took that as a yes. Charlotte held out her hand and the dog, Thomas, put his paw on it and made her move her hand up and down as if to be shaking her hand. 

"Thomas, this is going to be the beginning of a beautiful friendship."

WOOF! WOOF!

So, the two started to walk back to the entrance of the mall. And as Charlotte walked in, she didn't have to turn around. Because she knew that her new, trusty sidekick would still be there, waiting for her.


	6. An Explaination and Second Day at VHS

**Charlotte's POV**

To make it clear: Phil was not so taken with meeting Thomas.

Keyword: NOT!

Thomas and I were sitting outside the main entrance of the mall, right where Phil had dropped me off. A pile of grocery-filled boxes next to us and I was holding a Pet Smarts bag of dog stuff and a book about pit bull terrier. We must have looked like an odd pair because anyone who passed us on the way in gave us a funny look.

 _What? Haven't you ever seen a girl and her dog before?,_ I thought.

That reminds me. I reached into the bag and pulled out a black collar with tiny spikes sticking out and it had "PROTECTOR" on it.

''Hey Thomas, do you like it?" I asked as I showed him the collar.

WOOF!

Approved.

I took out some scissors and started to cut the chain off from around his neck. I didn't realize how tight it was until I heard a CLANG! and the chain fell off. The hard part came when Thomas started licking me.

"Alright, alright, I get it,'' I said as I stopped him from licking me, ''the leash was too tight on you.'' I put the chain in the bag and put the new collar on. And let me tell you, I swore he was posing afterward.

WOOF! WOOF!

''Your welcome,'' I said. While Thomas started to run around, I picked up the book I brought and started to read.

 _After all, since I now own a pit, I might as well read up on it,_ I thought. I was halfway passed chapter one when I heard a...

BEEP! BEEP!

I looked up from my book and saw the school bus pull up. Thankfully, the bus was empty...except for Phil.

Crap! How am I gonna explain Thomas to him? The bus stopped in front of me and the doors opened. Phil was looking at her, mischief in his eyes.

''Wow, I knew you were going to do some shopping, but I see you got busy.'' He flashed me his trademark grin as he walked off.

''What did you buy?" he asked.

"Oh, just some groceries, but I put them in boxes so they'd be easy to carry,'' I said.

''Genius," he said.

He started picking up the boxes until he saw the book in my hand.

''Say, whatcha got there?" he asked as he snatched the book out of my grasp.

"You just move to California and you're already thinking about getting a dog, and not a Chihuahua, a pit bull!'' As he started to flip through the pages, I saw a silhouette of Thomas walking behind him.

Crap! I've got to distract him!

''Well, since I live in such a good neighborhood, I was thinking 'Yeah, let's get a dog!' and pit bulls and protective and fun-loving' '', she said as she rubbed the back of her neck. He gave the book back to me and started to pick up the boxes.

''Well, at least it's not a rat. Anyways, we should get this stuff on the bus before your parents get home,'' Phil said as he started to pick up the boxes, he heard a growl.

''Was that your stomach?" he asked. I shook my head until I realized that was the wrong thing to do. He turned around before I could even warn him and...

''AAAAAHHHHHH!''

**3rd POV**

Charlotte would like to say everything went well and Phil and Thomas were best friends.

But the opposite happened.

Long story short: Thomas jumped on Phil, causing him the fall on the ground and hit his head. Charlotte quickly put a leash on Thomas and hauled him onto the back of the bus, where he remained as she helped Phil and the boxes onto the bus and rode home.

At the moment, she had given him an ice pack to put on his head while Thomas was outside, sulking.

"That's the dog you've got!" Phil ranted, "well, I can't believe he attacked me! What did I ever do to him?"

"Well, I was sort of chased by bad guys and he saved my life. So, I took him in," Charlotte explained. Phil looked at her, got up, and started to leave.

"I should probably leave now," he said," put the groceries up and let him in when I leave because you better have a good excuse to tell your mother why there's a dog in the house."

And she sometimes hated when people were right.

That evening, Annette nearly had a heart attack.

_After Phil left and she opened the boxes and put the groceries away, she finally let Thomas back in. "Alright, I told you there were some ground rules and I expect you to follow them._

_Rule 1#: You must obey my every command, and that goes for my mom, sometimes._

_Rule 2#: If you have to use the bathroom, not to talk to other dogs, but ONLY to use the bathroom, bark 3 times, and stand at the door._

_Rule 3#: You do not chew on the furniture or anything that is human stuff or else my mom will want to throw you out._

_Rule 4#: You will NOT beg for food and only accept it when given to you._

_Rule 5#: You can't tackle anybody unless I introduce you and give you the all-clear._

_Rule 6#: For Today and a while, you must be nice to my mom, like getting the newspaper or something._

_Alright, do we have a deal?" she asked._

_WOOF!_

_Charlotte nodded. This should go well._

_By the time her mom got home, she and Thomas were sitting in the living room watching TV._

_"I'm home!" her mom yelled. Thomas ran to the door. Then, Charlotte's eyes widened in realization... She forgot about her explanation. She ran to the door and was surprised, in a bad way._

_Thomas was on top of Annette, licking her face off._

_Suddenly, Charlotte said "Thomas! Rule 1#! Sit!" And like that, he got off of her and sat down. Annette uses this as an opportunity to get up and looked at her, and boy was she mad._

_''Charlotte, you've got some explaining to do."_

* * *

Thomas was put outside, again, after Charlotte explained what had happened. Well, her revised version of it, to spare Phil some trouble. Though Charlotte didn't find this a punishment, she had complete responsibility for the dog.

Meaning, when she took him on walks, she picks up his little 'business'; buy and feed him food, which might mean she needed a job; pay for his shots, which after a heated argument, Charlotte agreed to pay half the bill; and she must watch him 24/7, meaning that Charlotte had to take him to school, only a safe difference.

That night, while her mom was asleep, she let Thomas into the house and was quite comfortable with him sleeping by her feet. She stayed up all night on her computer looking for jobs that would hire her. After all, since she brought him in, she had to take care of him. But there were no jobs for hire. Sighing, she closed her laptop and set it aside as she went into a deep sleep.

* * *

_There was a full moon in the dark sky._

_But something in the sea was not as peaceful as it was thought to be._

_In a deep, dark cave at the bottom of the ocean, a voice was calling to her._

_''My, my, Charlotte, you've been a naughty girl haven't you. But no worries, I can excuse your crimes, for they were never really your fault. Let me show you what I can do, in honor of my special guest.''_

_Suddenly, images passed her until she saw a vision._

_Rikki, Cleo and Emma and their boyfriends were at the beach. While their boyfriends were sitting against the rocks, the girls were in their bikinis, looking at the water as if they were waiting for something._

_Or someone._

_''Where is she?" Rikki asked as she looked at her watch._

_''C'mon, Rikki, she said she was going to be late. Her mom wanted her to do something and it was taking longer than usual,'' Emma reassured her friend._

_''Alright, but if she's not here in a few minutes, we're going on without her,'' Rikki said._

_"Hey!"_

_The girls turned around and saw Charlotte running towards them, wearing a white bikini with red, black, and blue strips on it._

_When she got to them she said ''Sorry I'm late. I had no idea that my mom wanted me to carry the fish to the restaurant. I swear trying to avoid touching water and running an errand at the same time is hard.'' Cleo came up and hugged her 'friend'._

_''Don't worry, we waited for you. Now come on!_

_As the girls waved to the boys, Charlotte knew that Lewis and Cleo were together, but she felt as if he was looking at her._

_Like she was something special..._

_Then, all 4 girls dived into the water, where they changed into mermaids and swam the sea._

_Then, the vision ended and went back to the cave._

_The voice said ''Well, isn't that a pleasant memory. Oh dear, I've seemed to have forgotten, that never happened. But it would be nice for it to be, wouldn't it? Your wish to be friends with the legendary mermaids of Mako Island and to belong somewhere is so great that it's like a memory. But don't worry dear. When the time comes, I can make it possible. It would be like you never did anything to them._

_''Now wake up. Your dog is washing your face with his tongue .''_

_The cave disappears and everything fades to black..._

* * *

Charlotte woke up to find that Thomas was indeed licking her.

''Ok, okay, I'm up!'' she announced drowsily as Thomas got off of her. She looked at her clock. 5:30 am. Thomas woke her up an hour early.

''Well, at least I can get things done faster,'' she muttered as she got up. She went to the bathroom, took a shower, did her morning ritual, and came out to pull out her school clothes which consisted of a red satin camisole top, a denim acid wash skater shirt, red all-star converse, a Swarovski slake crystal bracelet, and she let her hair down, covering it with a black beanie. After putting the attire on, she saw Thomas looking at her, with his leash in his mouth.

''Oh, you want to go for a walk?"

Thomas gave a soft bark.

''Alright,'' she said as she put the leash on him. Grabbing her satchel, for when she needed it, she and Thomas left the house.

By the time they got back, her mom's car was gone.

"Well Thomas,'' she said to him,'' this is my life.'' After taking his leash off, she washed her hands and made herself cinnamon toast with eggs and gave some bacon to Thomas.

''Rule 4#: Accept food only when given to you, no begging,'' she said to him. But she was sure he didn't hear her since he was too busy eating. A few minutes later, after she threw her breakfast away she heard the bus.

BEEP! BEEP!

Charlotte quickly grabbed her satchel and raced to the door, only to find Thomas there, leash in his mouth.

"Listen, I have to go! I'll see you later.'' Thomas moved out of the way as Charlotte ran outside to the bus.

As she got on, Phil asked ''Did she take the news well?"

''Sort of, but I hold full responsibility for him if he does anything bad,'' she said as she sat down. Phil laughed and the bus took off.

**Back at the house...**

Thomas watched as the door closed, he opened the back door with his paw and went into the backyard. Though there was a medium-size pool, there was also a grassy part near a wooden fence. He dropped the leash for a moment and began to dig a whole. When it was big enough, he grabbed the leash and squeezed through the hole perfectly. When he saw the bus pass, with the leash in his mouth, he started running after it. Thomas managed to run-up the side of the bus, where a few kids spotted him.

**On the bus...**

''Look! A dog!'' someone shouted from the side of the bus. Charlotte's eyes widened and went to the other side to see what it was. Though she was hoped that it wasn't Thomas, she was wrong.

If Thomas was smiling, he was when the bus stopped. As Thomas entered the bus, he gave Phil a low growl before he sat next to Charlotte, who was a mixture of surprise and furious.

''What were you thinking? Did you want to get run over?!" she exclaimed.

But he still smiled at her. Charlotte sighed.

''Keep going, it's too late to take him back,'' she said to Phil. He grunted and continued the ride.

**Valencia High**

Once everybody got off the bus, Charlotte tied Thomas to the nearest tree. '

"Alright, I'll be in the building,'' she pointed to the school,'' for a while. But when I came out, we're going to have lunch for a few minutes. Then, I'll leave and come back to go home. Understand?"

WOOF!

Charlotte smiled and went to school.

The commotion Thomas started had spread through the school. Now, everyone who saw Charlotte asked

''When did you get your dog?"

"Does he always follow you to school?" and, her personal favorite,

"Where did you get him?"

It seemed like Thomas ran after the bus on purpose. And it didn't get any better during her classes. During her classes, Thomas would bark for an hour until one of the teachers sent her outside to deal with him.

RRRRRRIIINNNGGGG!

Lunch.

Charlotte could finally be with Thomas. As she was heading outside, she bumped into someone. ''I'm so sorry-'' Charlotte looked to see who she bumped into. Alaine. And behind her were her friends.

''Sorry, Alaine, I was trying to get to my dog-''

"Wait? That's your dog that's about to be taken by animal control? If I were you, I would stop them,'' Alaine said as she pointed to the door.

Charlotte didn't have time to thank her as she was rushing to Thomas. There was Thomas, but no animal control.

 _She lied to me_ , she thought as she walked towards Thomas.

The two eat in silence, Charlotte eating half of her sandwich while Thomas ate the other half. ''Do you think I'm a good owner to you?" she asked Thomas.

WOOF!

She took that as a yes.

Then, the bell rung again.

''Well, Thomas, I've gotta go. I'll see you in a few hours.'' As she got up, Charlotte felt a wave of energy hit her.

_''Such an awful thing for her to do, huh. Make you think that your pet was being taken away. Just say the word and I'll fix it.''_

WOOF!

Charlotte stumbled back. Who was that voice and why was it talking to her? She looked at Thomas, who was looking at her strangely. Shaking it off, she went back into the school, feeling a bit uneasy.

**End of the day...**

As school ended, Charlotte went and untied Thomas.

"You've had a change in heart lately,'' she said as she untied him,'' you spared me your barking for the rest of the day, and now your acting as if there's a problem.'' When she untied him, he started to bark. She looked behind her to see a woman standing behind her. Her hair was light brown and her eyes were emerald green. She was wearing a blouse and some jeans that looked GREAT with the high heels she was wearing.

''Thomas, it's Rule 5#,'' she said to him,'' this is my music teacher, Miss Analies.''

Miss Analies was her music teacher and a sweet lady. ''Charlotte, it was a good thing I could catch you, I was just wondering if you're joining the choir?" she asked. Charlotte nodded. ''Well, at the auditions, you and all the others must wear black shirts. Only solid black.''

''O.k., I'll see you on Friday,'' Charlotte said and turned to Thomas, ''Come on boy! By Miss A.''

With that, the two got on the bus and went home.

By the time they got back, Charlotte found the whole that Thomas dug and covered it up before her mom found it. She played fetch with Thomas for an hour before she retired up to her room and doing her homework.

''I'm home,'' her mom said as she stuck her head through her doorway.

Charlotte was on her computer again, looking for a job. '

'What's up?" her mom asked.

''Nothing much, just job searching,'' Charlotte said, not looking from her computer.

''Well... I guess I was a little harsh when I gave you full responsibility of Thomas, so, though everything else stays the same, I'll pay full for the shots.''

''O.k.,'' Charlotte said, still looking at the computer screen. She didn't look slightly interested.

''Alright, I brought pizza if you want it,'' her mom said. When Charlotte didn't answer, she left.

The moment the door closed, Charlotte did a quick, silent happy dance. Though she still had to pay for everything else, she was glad to avoid paying for shots.

**That night...**

While Charlotte was asleep and Thomas was on the floor, something murky was happening in the bathroom. Something dark rose from the bathtub drain. It was completely made up of water, only it was black and murky. The water-like creature had vicious eyes and fangs dripping water. It slowly opened the door that led to the bedroom.

As it levitated over the bed, it looked down at Charlotte, who was peacefully asleep. She had no idea she was being watched. But she would later. There was a glow coming from its eyes as it scanned her body, almost as if it was looking for something.

Grrrrrr...

It turned and saw Thomas staring at him menacingly as if to say

_''Do something. Try it, I dare you.''_

The snake tentacle immediately retreated, closing the door and going back down the drain. But Charlotte didn't hear it. It was like nothing ever happened. But to Thomas, something did happen, and he spent all night watching Charlotte, scaring away anything that threatened to come near her.

* * *

 **Read and** **Review!**


	7. Choir Wins and The Voice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Beware, I'll be using Kate Alexa songs in this fic! And if Charlotte comes off a little too much, that's on me!

**Friday morning...**

BEEP! BEEP! BEE-

SMACK!

Charlotte hit her alarm clock and got out of bed. She had dried slobber coming down her mouth, her eyes were droopy, in a need-for-energy kind of way, and her hair was all over the place. The other night, she had finally pieced together a song that she could sing at choir auditions. She based it on her experience since Australia and her need, no, her _want_ , to be normal. It needed some work the other night and she was up until noon when it was finally done. As she got out of bed, she immediately stumbled to the floor.

 _Ouch_ , she thought as she got up. She looked to see it was Thomas, who was too deep in asleep that he didn't notice or feel her trip over him.

''Dumb dog,'' she muttered as she went into the bathroom.

A few minutes later, she came back and put on her outfit for school and choir auditions: a black off-the-shoulder stretch-bandage top, a flower-print skirt, and leather boots. She put her hair in a ponytail after she curled it up. Thomas was up as well, despite that she was still mad at him. All last night, he was staring at her and the one time he did do something, he ruined her papers, chewing it all up. The two ate breakfast in silence... meaning him staring at her and Charlotte not giving him any bacon.

BEEP! BEEP!

The bus came a few minutes later and, much to Phil's displeasure, she let Thomas get on the bus with her. People have started to get used to Thomas on the bus, but she let some people take pictures of him and/or give him treats occasionally.

**Fast forward to choir auditions...**

The school day went by very fast. So fast that she didn't realize that it was time for choir auditions until Miss Analies spoke up at the auditorium.

''Welcome, students, to the Valencia High Theatre where you will be auditioning for the Valencia High School Choir,'' she said with a melodramatic voice,'' with everyone here, since there are 100 of you and only 50 of you will be selected, there will be two groups sorted by gender. Now, girls move to the left of the theatre and boys move to the right. Now!"

Everybody quickly moved to different sides, and to Charlotte's discomfort, she ended up sitting next to Alaine. She was wearing a black dress and her hair was in a baseball cap. She wanted to say something to her, but it wasn't worth it.

''Good, now I'll start with the girls. First up: Charlotte Watsford.''

**Charlotte's POV**

Nervously, I got up and walked onto the stage. I looked at the crowd. Sure, I had no problem getting on top of a cliff and paint the view, but getting in front of people and singing was different. Their eyes were on me and I was slightly beginning to sweat.

 _Wow, so this is what stage fright feels like,_ I thought.

''State your full name, the song you'll be singing, and the background,'' Miss Analies said.

As I gave the music sheets to the band members to play, I looked out at the audience.

''My name is Charlotte Elizabeth Watsford and I will be singing a song I wrote called 'Help Me Find My Way'. This is based on an experience I had a while back, based on the fact that I wanted to be special. But, after learning the hard way, I learned that I'm okay being ordinary, but I still need help finding my way,'' I said, feeling a boulder-like weight lift off me.

Though they won't know that I was a mermaid, they can at least see me from a somewhat different perspective.

Miss Analies nodded and motioned me to begin. I did a silent count to the band and the music began.

_(Guitar and piano begins to play)_

I took a deep breath and began to sing.

_I don't understand_

_who I am_

_I can't keep going on_

_round and round again_

_I've traveled so far_

_without looking back_

_But something's missing_

_something's just not right_

I took another breath and began to sing the chorus.

_Chorus:_

_Where do I go_

_where do I stand_

_I feel like a lost child_

_with no hands_

_I am so unsure_

_so far from secure_

_I need you to help me find_

_help me find my way_

_( Ooohh haa.. oh yeah...Ohhhhhhh)_

The audience was beginning to sway side to side, even Alaine and Miss Analies.

_Go slow_

_things take time_

_That's what they always say_

_(that's what they always say)_

_Sometimes, it gets way too rough_

_you just wanna hideaway_

_For all the times_

_I break down and cry_

_Something's missing_

_something's just not right_

_Chorus:_

_Where do I go_

_where do I stand_

_I feel like a lost child_

_with no hands_

_I am so unsure_

_so far from secure_

_I need you to help me find_

_help me find my way_

I saw everybody silently dancing and, feeling a little giddy-ish, I started to add a little soul into it. I let my ponytail down, letting my curly hair fall to my shoulders and the middle of her back.

_Help me find my way_

_oh baby_

_Gonna stay strong_

_yeah gonna move on_

_With my life_

_that's what I'm gonna do_

_... oh..._

I started to tone it down a little, almost like it was for a final finally.

Chorus:  
 _Where do I go_

_where do I stand_

_I feel like a lost child_

_with no hand_

_I am so unsure_

_so far from secure_

_I need you to help me find_

_help me find my way..._

I brought my voice back up again.

_I feel like a lost child_

_with no hand_

_I am so unsure_

_and far from secure_

_I need you to help me find_

_help me find my way._

_Where do I stand_

_I feel like a lost child_

_with no hand_

_I am so unsure_

_and far from secure,_

_I need you to help me find_

_help me find my way..._

The song ended with the last guitar note and everything fell silent.

**3rd POV**

The whole room was silent. Charlotte shut her eyes tightly. To be honest, this was the _very_ first time she ever sang at all; Unless you would count the times she would sing along with her late grandmother, Gracie Watsford.

Suddenly, the auditorium burst into applause. She opened her eyes to see almost everyone standing up and giving her what seemed to be a standing ovation, and if she listened carefully, the boys were whistling at her. Even Alaine was clapping.

Miss Analies got up after quieting the students and said ''Though I do not normally do this so quickly, it seems that I have 49 girls left to accept. Congratulations, Charlotte, welcome to the Valencia Choir!''

Charlotte covered her mouth to avoid screaming. She did it. She got into the choir. Oh, her mom was going to pester her to death when she finds out.

After the auditions were over, Charlotte was changing outfits in one of the stalls in the girls' bathroom when she heard someone come in and slam the door. She quickly gathered her stuff and stood on top of the toilet. She wasn't much of an ease dropper, or at least the new Charlotte wasn't, but making herself known would make the situation either awkward or worse.

''I can't believe you let THAT girl show you out like that, Alaine, and everyone here knows you the best!'' a feminine voice said. Charlotte looked through the crack in the stall's door and saw a black, middle-aged woman yelling at Alaine, who looked terrified, though she did her best to not let it show.

''Mom, I didn't even _know_ she could sing like that! Besides, she's been here for what, a week?'' Alaine defended herself. Charlotte closed her eyes as quickly as she could because she knew what was happening.

SLAP!

She opened her eyes again and saw Alaine holding her cheek.

''Don't talk back to me, little girl! And I'll have you know, not only did she just get recognition for her voice, she has gotten recognition for her dog! Didn't I tell you to call animal control on that beast?" Charlotte did her best not to gasp. That was her?

''I did, but they were busy," Alaine said.

''Well, try harder next time.'' With that, her mom grabbed her roughly by the arm and dragged her out.

SLAM!

Charlotte sat there, not moving. After what she had just witnessed, she had one thing on her mind: They talking about her.

When she finally managed to leave the bathroom, she went outside and saw Phil standing beside his bus. She quickly untied Thomas and went to him.

''Hey, I hear we have a new member of the choir. Congrats,'' he said.

''What are you doing here?'' she asked him.

''Easy, it's still daylight and I figured I could take you to Paradise as a reward,'' he said.

''Thanks, but I want to try a new beach. I looked it up on Google and it's called Point Dume Nature Preserve at Point Dume State Beach. I want to check it out in case I want to paint there sometime,'' she explained.

''Alright, I'll take you there tomorrow afternoon and we'll see?''

''Deal.''

They all got on the bus and he dropped them off at their house.

**Saturday afternoon...**

''I can't believe that mangy mutt followed us halfway to Paradise. No, he ran beside the bus and kept up for an hour!" Phil ranted as he was checking out the busted tire and the engine.

He wasn't lying. Thomas was supposed to stay home for the day, but if that dog had any problems, it was staying away from Charlotte.

The Saturday morning started normally: Charlotte got up, took a shower, did her morning ritual, picked out and put on a yellow, flower-print t-shirt and some red shorts, checked to see if her mom was home, ate breakfast, and was to rush out the door when she heard...

WOOF!

She turned to see Thomas looking at her expectantly, with his leash in his mouth. She had almost forgotten him, also forgetting to give him bacon. She knelt and held Thomas's head.

''Thomas, you can't come with me. I'm still getting used to California and I can't take you everywhere.''

Thomas started to pout and whine.

''Don't worry, I'll take you for a walk when I get back, okay.?"

WOOF!

''Alright, you know how to turn the TV on and I left you a few dog treats and dog food in your bowl in case you get hungry, okay?" She knew it was stupid to talk to him like a child, but it started comforting both of them.

Plus, she wasn't lying about the TV part. On one of his first nights home, he put his paw on the TV remote, and Charlotte had to get up at noon to find him in the living room watching Animal Planet with extreme intenseness.

WOOF!

BEEP! BEEP!

Charlotte got up and looked through the window blinds to see that Phil was driving the public bus. She rushed out the door, yelling ''Bye Thomas!" as she ran off.

When she got onto the bus, Phil asked ''You sure you don't want to go to Paradise Cove?"

She nodded her head. ''I'm sure, plus I think I want to try my hand at surfing while I'm there,'' she said.

''Ah, you want to be in the water, eh? Well, I know the way, but traffic's bad for the original way, so we might have to drive passed Paradise on the way there,'' Phil explained.

''Well, I'll find something,'' she said with her infamous smirk. Phil laughed and started to drive off.

But little did they know... a certain pit bull terrier was running after them.

Long story short: The bus broke down, receiving two flat tires, a dead battery, and a broken engine. Charlotte was outside the bus with Thomas trying to get help. But no cars were passing by and no phone reception.

''Well, there's no use. I think we could get help after I put my only spare tire on one of the wheels, but since the engine's down, we'll be walking,'' Phil said as the two were taking a break.

''I'm so sorry, Phil. I swore I didn't know he would get out and run after us like that,'' Charlotte said apologetically.

She was truly sorry. But she guessed that if Thomas has a perfect memory, he would have remembered the deal they made when they first met and felt that leaving her alone would break that deal. And that meant following her everywhere to make that deal possible to keep.

''Well, it's not your fault. I just got scared of him easily and I let my pride get the better of me,'' he said,'' but for the meantime, you're stuck with me.'' Thomas growled suddenly.

''Yeah, and so is the mutt too.'' Phil, probably to avoid being attacked, she suspected, went back onto the bus, claiming it was cooler in there.

He wasn't lying about that. The sun was so unbearing that it could give anyone sunburn. But the heat didn't bother Charlotte. Strangely, it was quite nice. She looked behind her to see Thomas his back, sunbathing. So, she decided to do the same. The feel of heat radiated over her skin, giving it a nice feel.

 _Ahh_ , she thought as she closed her eyes, _this feels nice._

 _..._ Then a melody started to play.

_Would you come with me?_

_We'll swim in the deep blue sea..._

_Aaaahhhhhh..._

Charlotte's eyes popped open as she rose from the ground. Thomas did too, only to see what his owner was doing.

_Come to me, Charlotte._

_You know you wish to be with me. Follow my voice you'll get what you'll receive._

The voice from before. It was loving again, like her grandmother's before she passed.

_Come to me Charlotte and receive your gift. Your companion can come too, for he'll be helpful along the way._

_Just follow my voice._

Charlotte started walking away from the bus, but Phil noticed and honked his horn.

_Tell him that you're going to get help. He'll be fine by himself._

Charlotte stopped and repeated _the Voice's words_ as she yelled to Phil. ''I'm going to get help. You'll be fine on your own,'' she shouted, not looking at the bus behind her. Phil started to object, but that if Thomas was with her, she would be fine.

''Crazy girl...'' he muttered.

She began walking again, following the lovely voice that guided her. Thomas just walked beside her, not only to protect her... but because he heard the voice too.


	8. The Voice, Continued

_**2 days later...** _

**Beep...Beep...Beep...**

''She should be waking up anytime soon,'' a male, gruff voice said, ''Miss, I understand you're worried, but she's in the best care possible.''

''I don't care!'' a strained, panicked voice exclaimed. ''That's _my_ daughter that was found on some woman's doorstep! _My_ daughter, who hasn't woken up in _2_ days! _My_ daughter that could be brain dead for all I know!"

_WOOF!_

''Get that dog out of here! He's been here long enough. My nurses can't go near her because the dog won't let them and his barks are scaring the patients!" the male voice said.

''I brought him here because he's been with her and could wake her up!" the female voice said.

_WOOF!_

''I said get him OUT!"

Grrrrrr...

Thomas lifted his upper body onto the bed and gave a loud bark.

Grrrrrr...WOOF!

Charlotte's eyes popped wide open as she jerked her body up and looked around for her dog.

''Thomas, THOMAS! Where are you?!'' she screamed as she tried to get out of her bed. She turned to see Thomas on her bed and squealed ''Thomas!'' as she hugged him.

''See, I told you he would help,'' the female, yet familiar voice said.

Charlotte looked up to see her mother, her face tear-stained and smiling at her. Annette rushed up and hugged her, squeezing the life out of her.

''Oh honey, you have no idea how much you scared me to death!"

Charlotte was confused. Why was her mom scared? She looked at her and said ''Mom, I'm fine. I was lying on the grass with Thomas while the bus was broke down.''

Annette gave her daughter a complex look. ''Oh that bus driver drugged you,'' she said,'' I swear that when I get my hands on that fat weasel...''

Her mom was about to go on a stream of curses until the same gruff, male voice said ''Excuse me, but perhaps I can be some assistance.''

Charlotte looked up to see a light-skinned man with glasses and a white coat was looking at them. He came up and sat in front of her, pulled out a small flashlight, and examined her eyes.

"I think she's suffering from TGA, Transient Global Amnesia. At some point, she must have blacked out and the memories from whatever happened to her being locked up. Don't worry, it's temporary and will come back to her. I bet the man who came in here earlier was telling the truth. So tell me, what's the last thing you remember?" Charlotte started to answer when the _voice_ came back into her head.

_Tell him you and the dog went to get help._

''Thomas and I went to go find help for the bus,'' she said.

The man stopped examining her eyes and looked at her. ''Well, I heard that from the bus driver, but what happened before that, like how you started your day."

''Well, I took a shower, did my morning ritual-''

''Which consists of?" he asked.

"Well, I take a morning shower, and afterward, I wash my face, brush my teeth, put on deodorant, blow dry my hair, and...'' she trailed off. The last thing she always did was something that she was not proud of and didn't like to tell people, especially strangers.

''Miss, please tell me the last thing you do?" he asked again.

Charlotte sighed and took a breath.

"And I take 2 pills of antidepressants.''

She did it. She told a stranger that she took 'happy pills'' to get through the day. After she'd been let out of the hospital in Georgia, the doctors had prescribed meds for her to take. They said it would help her feel better.

She expected him to react, but instead, he wrote something down on a clipboard he had and said, ''Alright, what else?"

Charlotte was taken back. She had not expected him to do that. ''I pick out my clothes and do my hair. That day, I was about to go outside when my dog, Thomas, stopped me. He wanted to come and I said he couldn't. Then, I heard the bus and left the house. I told Phil, the bus driver, that I wanted to go to a new beach and maybe try surfing.''

"So,'' the man said, ''since you two are on a first-name basis, can you care to tell me how you both know each other?"

Charlotte slightly blushed in embarrassment. Her mom still didn't know what she did that Sunday. And having a stranger ask her in front of Annette was not the best way to tell.

''The day I moved here, my mom had to go to work, long story, and I spent the day unpacking everything, on my own free will,'' she added for extra measure and to not get her mom in trouble, ''when I was done, I got dressed in some nicer clothes and got on a public bus, which is how I met Phil. He was the driver. He went out of his way and took me to Malibu.''

Annette was furious. Well, her skin was red in anger, but it lessened as she continued.

''He left me there, but he came back for me at 9 pm and I went on with my night. The next day, I found out that he was my school bus driver.''

''Wait a minute, you told me you were only stuck at home all day! You lied to me?" her mom asked, truly hurt.

Charlotte turned to her mom. ''No, it was just that you were busy and I got everything done. So, I decided to take an adventure.''

Her mom gave her a look that said that they would be talking about this later.

''So let me get this straight. You know the bus driver because he takes you places out of his jurisdiction?" he asked sternly. She couldn't blame him. Anyone who would have heard this would scream ''pedophile'' in their eyes.

But Charlotte could tell when she couldn't trust someone and when she could, and she felt that Phil was someone she could trust. Her senses were better than that now.

''He was only being nice to me and taking me to places outside Valencia was his way of showing generosity.''

The man got up and went to the door saying ''Well, I tell the nurses to keep your daughter stay overnight for observation and make sure the police didn't arrest _Phil_ ,'' he put the emphases around his name, ''for something he didn't do. I'll talk to you tomorrow morning.''

He looked at his clipboard and walked out of the room as Annette yelled ''Thank you, Dr. Harris!''

 _Wait a minute_ , Charlotte thought, _doctor? nurses? observation? This can't be..._

But it was too late to confirm.

''I'm in a hospital, aren't I?'' she asked.

She already knew the answer.

Everything was white. The walls were white. The lights were white. The machines next to her were white. The beds were white. Heck, the gown she was wearing was white! Charlotte quickly noticed the IVs in her right arm and resisting the urge to pull them off. It's not that she hated hospitals. After all, that were people who were really sick or severely injured went, and most likely came out a great shape. In one way or another.

It's just that she hated being a patient in one.

''Well, what did you expect?'' her mother asked as she looked at her daughter sternly. ''I was about to end my shift at work when I received a phone call from the hospital, the hospital of all places, saying that a woman found you on her doorstep, soaking wet and unconscious... oh, its Georgia all over again!''

Suddenly, Charlotte felt something stir inside of her, it was familiar, almost like a... like a flame. A fiery burst of sudden energy raging inside of her like a wildfire. Suddenly, she heard a voice pop into her head.

_Let it go..._

SLAP!

She almost didn't realize that she slapped her mom until she saw Annette step back, hold her right cheek that was beginning to form a red handprint.

But, at the moment, she could care less. Annette looked at her daughter shockingly. She had never known that Charlotte would react so violently.

She pointed her finger at her mother accusingly. ''Don't you EVER bring that up! This is NOTHING like what happened in Georgia! I didn't try to kill myself then and I certainly wasn't trying to kill myself now! I might remember something from, what? 2 or 3 days ago? But if you even THINK that I'm some innocent depressed little girl, oh so help me I will-''

WOOF!

* * *

**Thomas's POV (written in 3rd person)**

Even if humans couldn't understand him, he could understand them quite well.

He understood the difference between a pet and a stray, love and abuse, neglect, and abandonment. He understood it all, for as a neglected dog that was used to protect an abandoned junkyard, he hated to understand humans. While as a pet, you could be cuddled and spoiled while others could be beaten or somewhere between.

The day he ran away from that junkyard was the best day of his life, for not only was he free from the abuse, but he was also taken in by the nicest person he ever met.

Charlotte.

_**Flashback:** _

_It was a hot day in Sammy's ''Forbidden'' Palace, or as others would call it, a junkyard. Beyond the locked metal gates were piles of broken cars, glasses, trash, and much more garbage that would have had much potential to fill the ozone land. Sammy himself, an oversized guy that reeked of bad whopper burgers and gas, was watching his small TV in a small shack by the yard._

_Tied up by a post, was a big, brown pit bull terrier who was ripping a badly wrapped bandage off his paw. It healed on its own, but it was somewhat hard to lick on. The dog was tied up in front of the gate, watching for 'intruders' who wanted to steal from the yard, but those 'intruders' were middle school kids looking for a spot to hang out. The dog didn't want to cause any trouble himself he was hoping to see if the small little girl that would come by to bring him food. Sammy fed him mostly bones and a few meat scraps, but he knew how to make them last._

_Suddenly, a few guys and girls, probably college students, walked past the gates. The guys walked past him but the girls stopped and looked at him._

_''Aw, look at the cute doggy,'' a blonde girl kneeled over and cooed. She reached into her bag, pulled out a treat, and threw it to the dog through the holes of the metal gate. The dog happily caught it in his mouth and ate it. Then, he walked to the girl as far as he could, since he was tied up, and licked her fingers that were on his side of the gate._

_''Aw, that's so cute,'' another girl said as she started to rub him around the ear, much to the dog's enjoyment._

_One of the guys saw this and said ''You do know whose dog that is, right?"_

_The girls looked at him. ''Who?"_

_''That's Sammy Biggens's dog, Mutt.''_

_Yep, that was the dog's name. Since his owner didn't bother to name him, he called him Mutt, when he just happens to be a purebred._

_''He's supposed to be a big bad dog that keeps people from entering the junkyard. But he must've died because this dog is WAY too soft to be Mutt,'' the guy said._

_But the girls rolled their eyes and continued to pet Mutt._

_''No way, Hatchet. Dogs can be nice when they want to, like this little guy. It's the owners that give their dogs a bad name. Isn't that right?" she asked the dog._

_WOOF!_

_''See?" the blonde said as she started to rub Mutt again.'' He's not bad. He's just a softie, aren't ya?"_

_WOOF!_

_SLAM!_

_They all turned to see the door to the small shack open. A pale guy who looked like a heavy-weight sumo-wrestler came from the shock._

_He had a 5 o'clock shadow and messy hair. His eyes were pure black and his teeth were yellow. He wore a WAY-too-small white tank top and over-sized baggy shorts. His red stomach was sticking out and his white feet were swollen. Sammy Biggens._

_When he saw the students touching the dog, and Mutt not doing a thing about it...he lost it._

_''WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING TO MUTT?!" he yelled as he wobbled towards them. The guys were quick to defend the girls._

_''Listen, sir, we were just walking by and the girls saw the dog and-''_

_''I DON'T CARE IF YOU SAW AN ELEPHANT! LEAVE MY PROPERTY AT ONCE OR I'LL...I'LL...'' Sammy trailed off._

_Then, he grabbed an empty beer bottle and swung it at the gate, the glass breaking and hitting the girls._

_The blonde fell and received a nasty cut on her leg. But to Mutt, he saw red._

_WOOF! WOOF! WOOF! WOOF!_

_He struggled to get out of his leash, but the metal-wired collar on his neck wasn't helping either. Sammy turned to him and started to kick him._

_''STUPID DOG! CAN'T EVEN PROTECT MY PROPERTY, YOU LITTLE MUTT!''_

_The others tried to stop him, but he wasn't going to give the dog any mercy._

_Then, the blond grabbed a big shard and, what was probably a one-in-a-million hit, managed to throw the shard through the rope, the shard cutting through it successfully._

_The dog didn't hesitate to escape through a hole in the gate and run._

_But before he ran for freedom, he licked the blonde girl on the face and barked twice._

_Thank You._

_The girl smiled in understanding and watched as the dog escaped with his life..._

_**Flashback Ends...** _

That day, he found himself at a mall and was digging through the trash until he saw _her._

The girl was running for a few minutes until she saw him. She wasn't skinny, but she wasn't big either. She had an average person's shape, red hair, and brown eyes. When he saw those guys after her, she dashed towards him and he, well... he bit the leader in a place that should be untouched to humans.

After the guys ran away, he greeted the girl and the rest was history for him. Though she wanted him to protect her, their bond had grown a lot since that fateful day. But something was wrong.

He kept hearing a voice when he was with her and, to his surprise, she heard it too. But to his other surprise, no one else did. He could feel its presence and he never likes it.

The night that snake-tentacle came, he was on his guard. It never came back, but he still remembered it, like what happened a few days ago.

He remembered the look in her eyes when they were walking from the bus...

He remembered how they walked for so long that he knew that her feet had to be hurting...

He remembered her walking to a cliff point and walking down the stairs built along the cliffside that leads to the beach...

He remembered being lead to an isolated part of the beach...

He remembered how she asked him to sniff along the boulders and cliff sides until a hidden opening appeared...

He remembered how the two walked in and entered a hidden cave with a pool in it...

He remembered how she jumped in it as the pool started to glow and bubble...

He remembered how she just walked out of the pool and they ended up back on the beach and left...

He remembered they ended up in some neighborhood and she rang the doorbell outside someone's house until she passed out...

He remembered sneaking into the ambulance that took his owner away...

But most of all, he remembered the _voice_ that gave her every single command and he couldn't snap her out of it.

As he saw the violent exchange that appeared between his owner and her mother, he felt _its_ presence inside of her.

He barked as loud and hard as he could, hoping to bring the true presence of his loving owner back.

WOOF!

* * *

**3rd POV (Back at the hospital with Charlotte and her mom)**

WOOF!

Charlotte's head jerked up and Annette saw this.

Her daughter looked like she had just come out of a trance...like she had no idea that she just hit her mother. She was angry at one moment, and then she was calm.

''Mom, why are you holding your cheek?" she asked her mother curiously. Annette saw this and decided to lie.

''Oh, I was leaving the bathroom and I accidentally hit the door. I'll have a nurse look at me later. You know, why don't you go to sleep and I'll go get something to eat and come back, o.k.?"

Charlotte looked at her mother suspiciously but nodded as she laid back down on her bed.

Annette left the room and headed to the clinic. _I'm gonna have to keep an eye on her_ , she thought.

Charlotte didn't realize that she fell asleep until her mom closed the door. She knew her mom was lying, but she didn't want to push it. She didn't want to know.

To be honest, she doesn't remember what happened in the last couple of days, except lying in the sun by Thomas. She could feel that Thomas was fully on the bed, probably curled up in a ball and lying on her feet, asleep. Then, all of a sudden, she started to sing a familiar melody as she was sleeping.

* * *

The moon was starting to rise over Paradise Cove.

_Would you come with me?_

But it wasn't just any moon. It was a full moon, glowing white in the sky, giving off an unknown blue aura.

_We'll swim in the deep blue sea..._

Suddenly, the pure white moon started to turn red, giving off a menacing blood aura.

_Oooooohhhhhh..._

Laguna watched this from the outside patio of the café and turned to her family. Karen, Brendan, and her son-in-law, Jonathan, were huddled up together, their faces stunned in fear. Karen stepped up and was the first to speak.

''So, it's happened, isn't it? She's rising again, and right when we were _so_ sure we found the right moon pool?"

Laguna shook her head.

''No, it just hurt our situation drastically. Not only have we found the wrong pool, but... she's found her. And to make it worst, she's used the Enchantment Song on her and has had her transitioned with success. Who knows what powers she has given her,'' Laguna said as she looked at the red moon.

''But, for hundreds of years, you, and most of your offsprings, including me, have searched for potential people who could be the reincarnations of Ane'lie for years, even when she was reborn as a man, but a teenager who could... I just don't want to even imagine the amount of control and power she has over her,'' Karen said as she hugged herself like she was out in the cold.

Laguna nodded. ''Yes, it's hard to think about, but we need to find her and at least give her some protection before _she_ gets her next chance to control her. And if _she_ does and Ane's new body doesn't know her powers… I swear to whoever or whatever made that comet hit earth... there will be consequences.''

Suddenly, Karen came up with an idea. ''Why don't you train her. After all, you're the true bearer of the Original 3, and who knows how many more abilities you gained over the years. And that way, if she is the true reincarnation, she's not only powerful, but she can defend herself against _her_ ,'' Karen suggested.

And Laguna couldn't agree more.

Just a simple charm or spell couldn't save her reborn friend from the dangers that were lurking below. So, training her friend's reincarnation was the best way/option of protecting her and giving her a way of self-defense.

She made her final decision.

"Alright, we'll find her, bring her here, and train her. I will NOT lose her again!"

Karen nodded. She knew her mother's long past and would do anything to help her, even in the impossible, along with her current family.

Then, her husband stepped in.

''Alright, I get it. Find your mother's reincarnated mermaid or human or whatever, bring her around here, and save the girl doomed in a cycle that's destined to repeat itself. And what? Become legacies or something? We don't even know where she is. All we know is that she's back in what? Her 500th body is walking around somewhere, unknown about the damage it's about to do. Your mother's arch-nemesis is rising from the ocean after a very, _very_ long nap, and what else?''

He turned to his pregnant wife, ''Karen, what in the world makes you think that her reincarnation is a teenager that we're talking about? For all we know, the real person that _she_ could be controlling is Brendan and we're on a wild goose chase!"

Brendan looked at his stepfather accusingly. "Hey! I resent that!"

But Karen looked at her husband in amusement and there was a glint of mischief in her eyes. Oh no.

''Easy,'' she said as she was walking towards him, ''a _teenager_ was the last one to look into Mother's eyes and receive a vision from her.''

Then Brendan joined in on the pursuit.

''And, the first one to put one back into gram's head."

It was starting to dawn on Jonathan on who they were talking about and began to back away as he shook his head and muttered ''No, no...''

By the time he backed into a wall, they all cornered him.

''And,'' Laguna said as she finally joined in, ''she still has that lovely shade of red hair as I remember her having.''

Jonathan was shaking his head furiously, yelling ''No!''

Karen looked towards her son and mother, then looked towards her husband, with the smile of the Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland, much to his horror.

''Mom? What was the name of that girl who came to the café last week?'' she asked Laguna, with a hint of amusement.

Her mother answered in the same tone. She pretended to rub her chin, as if she was thinking, and then said ''Ah, yes. Charlotte Watsford.''

They all looked at Jonathan like madmen and he was thinking one thing: _We're doomed._


	9. Tryouts and Tails

_The day Charlotte got out of the hospital, a nurse had come into her room and brought in a bouquet of lilies._

_''These were addressed to you. But I don't know who sent them. There was no name or anything from whoever sent it, except a note,'' she said as she gave the flowers to Charlotte. Charlotte pulled a small note from inside the bouquet and read:_

_**I hope your feeling better. Softball tryouts are tomorrow and you have choir practice at 12.** _

_The was indeed no name on the note, but she couldn't help but shake the feeling that she knew who it was from and smiled._

_Charlotte turned to the nurse and thanked her as she left and her mom entered that room. Annette capped her hands together in admiration._

_''Oh, honey, I knew that dress would look great on you! But did you have to add the sneakers? You're leaving the hospital, not a casual dress event!'' she stated as she examined her daughter._

_Charlotte was wearing a simple white dress with light red ruffles at the bottom, her red hair was put up in a bun but she let her bangs almost cover her eyes. The only thing that didn't look formal was the Nike sneakers that she was wearing._

_Charlotte looked at herself. ''Um, maybe because that's the point,'' she said._

_Annette ignored that and noticed the flowers in her daughter's hands. "Who sent you those?"_

_Charlotte looked at them and shrugged. ''No idea. They just came. So, you ready to go?"_

_Annette nodded. ''Yeah. I'm feeling very... anxious to not have to come here again.''_

**Probably just the flashbacks from Georgia** , _she thought._

_With that, the two left the room and exited the hospital. By the time the left, they were halfway home._

_Suddenly, Charlotte had to tell her mom something._

_''So, mom, how would you feel about me joining the school choir?"_

* * *

**Tuesday**

It was time for Charlotte to go back to school, much to her mom's protests. On her account, she could go to school but call Annette if something went wrong, which was unlikely.

Her morning went the same as usual. She got out of bed, took a shower, did her morning ritual, put on a cute outfit: khaki pants, turquoise sleeveless chiffon with matching ballet flats, a blue watch and a turquoise bead bracelet. She put her hair up in a side ponytail using a black and blue scrunchie and took Thomas for a walk, or more like a run since he recently formed a hatred for her neighbor's cat.

But by the time the two returned, Charlotte smelled a whiff of cinnamon toast and oatmeal. Like curiosity killed the cat, she went into the kitchen and was surprised to see her mom cooking breakfast.

''Mom, shouldn't you be at work?" she asked her as she sat down at the table.

''Actually, Mark gave me a day off. So, I figured that I'd make us some breakfast and I'd drop you off at school,'' Annette said as she placed Charlotte's plate in front of her and started to eat her own.

''Oh, you don't have to drop me off. Phil- I mean, my bus driver is used to Thomas riding the bus with me,'' Charlotte said cautiously. She didn't know what her mom thought of Phil, but she didn't want to push it.

After a few moments of silence, Annette stopped eating and looked at her daughter.

''Um, sweetie, I just wanted to...apologize for how I acted in the hospital. I guess that I got scared of you being in the hospital again... worrying if you'd started to harm yourself...'' Annette trailed off as she put her head down slightly.

Charlotte was confused but decided to lie.

''I'm sorry... I guess I was just pretty tired.'' Though she wasn't sure about what her mom was apologizing for, she had a feeling that she shouldn't ask because she didn't want to know. So, she decided to change the subject.

''So, I'm trying out for the softball team today, so I hope you don't mind me coming home late?''

Annette looked up at her in surprise. ''But aren't you already in the choir?" she asked. After Charlotte told her mom about her joining the choir, minus the bathroom incident, Annette was over the moon with questions, like when her first performance was &, etc. and a little hurt that she didn't tell her sooner.

''I know, but I wanted to get active and all...'' Charlotte said. As much as she wasn't insecure about her looks, she never told anyone about the verbal abuse that went down in Georgia about her weight, height, and size. Though she had no problem with her height, she wanted to be a little thinner. Not supermodel thin, but just thinner. Besides, she never told her mom about it since Annette had enough on her plate already.

''Brilliant! Oh, I can't wait to see your first game and meet your little friends," her mom enthusiastically, ''I'm gonna need to bring a camera, some sports drinks, and water for your teammates...''

''STOP! I'm JUST trying out, mom. I won't know for two weeks,'' Charlotte said, stopping her mom from stressing early. By the time they were done talking and finished eating, Charlotte let her mom drive her to school.

* * *

**At softball try-outs...**

The day went well for Charlotte. No news of her absence or her stay in the hospital spread through the school. But when she opened her locker, she found a note inside. It read:

_**I hope you're feeling up to try-outs. Coach Mildred is one of the best coaches this school has and one of the toughest. Good luck!** _

Once again, no name. But she smiled to herself. Someone was going out of their way to make sure she was prepared for what was ahead. And she was thankful for that.

She spent her lunch period with Thomas and the rest of the day went by like a breeze. Then, she was in the auditorium with the other 49 students that were selected by Miss Analies for choir practice. And not to her surprise, Alaine was there. She had always wanted to talk to her about what had happened in the bathroom a week ago, but she didn't want to push her and become her enemy or anything negative.

So, Miss Analies had the girls do a solo, and the strangest thing happened. When Miss Analies pointed towards her for a solo, almost the exact moment she sang, the boys started to gather around her, staring at her in awe. But when Miss Analies blew the whistle, the boys went back to their seats, dazed and confused.

Now she was outside on a baseball field and, to her surprise and again, not so much, there were all girls and Alaine was among them.

They were all sitting on the bleachers, talking among themselves. Charlotte changed into a dark blue and black performance running T-shirt, Nike woman's running shoes, neon stud yoga pants( for flexibility and easy to wear), and used her scrunchie to form a long, smooth ponytail that slung around her shoulder.

Then, a large, older-looking woman, probably in her late 30s or 40s, stood in front of them in a red tracksuit. All the girls stared at her.

''Alright, I am Coach Honey Mildred, but ONLY address me as Coach Mildred," she said, "I'm the coach of this year's new softball team, and I will say this once and only once: I demand respect and if I don't get that, or be taken seriously, then you can all get your makeup and stuff and go home because I do NOT tolerate ignorance, disrespect, laziness, and excuses."

"I will be watching you during this one day trial. And for those who don't know why you are, and are only, trying out for one day, it's because I want to test your limits, see as far as you could go if this sport had your life on the line, and push you until your bones break, your hair's drenched from sweat, and your begging for water, and I won't give it to you until I see that you've earned it. Now, does anyone want to back out?"

Charlotte and the others watched as 9 girls left the bleachers.

Couch Mildred nodded. "Good. Now that we've got rid of our sore losers and butt scratchers, I'll have Alaine Williams and Dominique Kane lead you to the fields and start the drills. Girls?"

As everyone got off the benches and walked towards the field, Charlotte caught Alaine watching her for a moment before turning her head away. Once there, Alaine took 10 of the girls, including Charlotte, and a Latino girl, Dominique, she assumed, got the rest.

"First things first, my name is Alain Williams and I'm the co-captain for this year's team, and this is my teammate/co-captain, Dominique Kane. We'll be the ones to see if you can handle this 'group' and can lead us to nationals. Now, I'm not saying that it's a possibility. I'm saying that it's a responsibility. We've never lost a game unless its raining or someone died. Understand?" Alaine asked.

Everyone nodded.

''Good. Now, Dominique will explain the drills." Alaine gestured to Dominique.

"Alright," Dominique said, "first, we're gonna have all of you do 20 laps around the field and then, we're gonna give you 20 jumping jacks and 15 sit-ups. Of course, we're gonna have to give you a 5-minute break. I mean, this tryout might call for some parents down here to pick up their injured kids, but it won't kill anybody, and then we're gonna see what positions your good at on the field...What are you guys waiting for? TWENTY LAPS, NOW!"

The girls quickly started to run around the field. For some, it went at ease for them, but for the rest, they were starting to regret not leaving. Charlotte's stomach felt like it was about to burst if she didn't get any water. But she was far behind, and if she wanted to get on the team, she wasn't going down without a fight, even if she needed to stay hydrated!

After 20 laps, Alaine finally blew the whistle. All the girls quickly went to the bleachers, grasping for their water bottles. By the time Charlotte made it to her gym bag, she practically tore it apart as she found her water bottle and started to chug it down.

She was told to drink water regularly, but she's never felt the need to drink it so bad before. Guess she should have listened when her 6th-grade science teacher told her class that everyone's body was made up of 50-65% of water.

Then, Alaine blew the whistle again, signaling the end of the first 5-minute break.

''Alright, you've had your break. Now, get your butts on the field and give me 20 jumping jacks!" Dominique yelled.

Everybody quickly got on the field and started doing jumping jacks.

After that and doing the sit-ups, much to the aching pain in Charlotte's sides, they finally got around to using the equipment.

''Alright, first, we're gonna start with the pitcher. We are going to see how well you throw. If your fast, we'll have you doing it again. If you're slow, well, I think you know where you'll be sitting. I'll go first and show you how it's done," Alaine said as she stepped on the field.

After they put on their equipment, she got on one of her knees at the pitching rubber and Dominique crouched down at the diamond, ready to catch it.

"Now, this is an easy way. You must have your body still and your shoulders stiff so that when you throw the ball, you have resistance. Keep the leg you have up and keep it slightly bent so that it's not locked."

Alaine threw the ball in an underhand motion and threw it to Dominique, who caught it in her glove with ease and threw it back to her.

''Now, you have to throw it, throw it as hard as you can, but let the ball roll off your fingertips,'' Alaine said.

The two threw and passed the ball a couple of times until they called for volunteers.

''Alright, Charlotte, why don't you try first?"

Charlotte was caught by surprise. She didn't expect to be called on first but didn't have a choice. She got on the rubber and got in the same position as Alaine. She positioned herself exactly like Alaine instructed her and threw her first throw.

It wasn't as fast as she anticipated.

"You have to let the ball slip through your fingers. Keep your body still and your shoulders stiff or else your throw will come out sloppy," Alaine instructed.

Charlotte took a deep breath and gave it another go. She winded her arm a few times before she let the ball fly swiftly through her fingers and threw it to Dominique.

But instead of the ball hitting her glove... it hit her stomach.

Dominique cried out in pain as she fell to the ground, clutching her stomach. Everyone rushed to her and tried to see if she was okay.

Charlotte was by her side and quickly apologized. "I am so, so sorry Dominique. It was an accident! I swear! I didn't mean to!"

Dominique looked like she was intense pain. She was clutching her stomach and had tears falling from her eyes.

"Give her some space! Give her some space!" Coach Mildred exclaimed as she cut through the group of girls that surrounded Dominique.

After examining her, she told one of the girls to take the co-captain to the nurse's office.

After the girls left, the couch looked at all the girls. But specifically looked at Charlotte.

"Well, Miss Kane will be out for the rest of tryouts. But since we have some 'stronger' girls going for the team,'' she looked at Charlotte menacingly, "I will have the honors of helping out with tryouts. This will be starting by everyone spending 2 hours practicing their pitching. Well, what are you standing around for? Move it!"

All the girls groaned and sent glares at Charlotte, who was looking miserable.

Once again, she's caused problems for the group.

* * *

**After tryouts (Charlotte's POV)**

After tryouts were over, I was the only girl heading into the girls' locker room. The others didn't bother to take a shower and, personally, probably didn't want to be around me. I couldn't blame them. Like everyone else, every part of her body was sore to the bone.

I'm now realizing that the only reason the captains even started right away with the equipment was so that Couch Mildred didn't have to come and do tryouts herself. But I just had to injure one of them and now my arms are sore, my legs are stiff, my back is aching, and my feet...well let's just say I'm making an effort to walk on them.

Couch Mildred was serious. After practicing our pitching, we all spent 3 hours doing speed and agility exercises. And since most of them were hard to do, we spent ANOTHER 3 hours perfecting them, plus 3 suicides for the girl who started to complain a lot.

I took my phone out to look at the time.

10:30 pm.

Crap, I'm late. I didn't intend to be stuck in school overnight, but if I didn't take a shower and change, the school security guard ( yes, my school has one) would find me and call my mom, who would already be mad at me for staying out so late.

Once I got into the empty locker room, I immediately took off my tryout clothes, turned the water on in the shower and stepped in. And you would NOT believe how good hot water felt on me. Every muscle was getting soothe, my feet were hurting less and the rest of me felt great. No, I felt amazing.

 _Ahh,_ I thought, _this is nice._ As the hot water poured on my bare skin, I realized something I never took notice of:

There was no voice.

I should have known it was all in my head. I was just hallucinating.

* * *

**Unknown POV**

The clock went by. But unnoticed to Charlotte... she shouldn't have touched the water.

Tick...Tock...

23 hours have passed since she was conscious...

Tick...Tock...

Her gift is about to be received...

Tick...Tock...

... 10:58... 10:59... 11:00 pm...

It has begun...

* * *

**Charlotte's POV**

I felt strange, but I brushed it off.

As I continued to wash, I dropped the bar of soap that I was using. So as I bent down to pick it up, I wasn't ready for what happened to me next.

Water started to swirl around me fast, not like a shower should. It was like it was building up and rising over my feet...

... then my legs...

... then my waist...

...then my stomach...

...then my neck...

... then my head...

...

"Ouch!"

As I fell to the cold, solid floor, I looked at myself. I was so sure I must've bumped my head at first. But I found myself wearing a shining silver-blue top... and looked down at my legs to see something that I thought I would never see again...

I had a tail.


	10. Unexpected Calls and The Legend, Part 1

**3rd POV**

You would think that after a year, a year of being an average _normal_ person, Charlotte would forget the simplest of things and lose most of her memories of past events, like birthdays or report cards.

But no! She just had to have her memories regained when she gets a tail! Revived, rejuvenated, back from the dead, and to make it worse, she quickly remembered one good thing she needed to do:

Get out of the water!

Since she fell, her dorsal fin was still in the shower getting hot water running over it. Charlotte tried to crawl and squirm away, but it was no use. She was stuck.

WOOF! WOOF!

She heard a dog's feet patter on the floor and turned to the door that separated the girls' locker room from the hallways of the gym to see a figure of Thomas using his paws to successfully open the door.

"Thomas!

Charlotte half expected him to try to take a bite out of it. But instead, he came up to her face and began to rub his collar against her cheek. She didn't know how, but Charlotte had a feeling that he wanted her to grab it.

So she did and, to be honest, she had no idea how strong Thomas truly was!

He managed to pull her to the farthest corner of the room and behind a wall, making her invisible to anyone who came in. Then, he went to grab her towel from the bench where her clothes sat and brought it back to her, which Charlotte gratefully accepted.

Then, something popped into her head.

"Thomas," Charlotte asked hesitantly as she looked at the dog, "how did you get inside the building?"

But before she could slap herself for asking a stupid question, she heard the door open and a small "Hello?"

Charlotte's heart stopped. She knew exactly who it was.

Alaine.

"Charlotte, I know you're in here. I let your dog in and I can see your clothes on the floor. Listen, if you're scared to face me...I don't blame you."

Charlotte had no idea what she was talking about. But she was about to get her answer.

"I know you were in the stall when my mom and I were...' talking'. I saw you walk in there earlier and it was too late to warn her. I guess I wasn't the easiest person when we met. No, I was easy, but I left you hanging after I said all that stuff about being a senior and found out you're one. And I just wanted to say that I'm sorry."

Though it sounded like Alaine meant it, but she couldn't be too sure.

"I know you also heard about the dog thing and, if you're hearing is good...well the point is that I'm really really sorry about how I treated you and I really would like to be friends with you, but it doesn't make sense befriending someone who's going to college next year," Alaine concluded.

Charlotte chuckled, only to quickly cover her mouth and look down at her tail

She heard Alaine's footsteps start to walk towards her and quickly yelled: "STOP!"

Alaine stopped walking, letting Charlotte silently sigh in relief and smoothed out her voice.

"Alaine, I honestly don't know what to say. One part of me can't help but want to smack you for being so dense...but the other part of me can forgive you," Charlotte said from behind the wall that separated the girl from the mermaid.

"Well, why don't you come out then? It's not like I haven't seen a girl naked before," Alaine said as she slowly started to walk towards the wall again.

Charlotte was done for. She knew it. Alaine was going to see her tail, freak out, and the next thing she knows, she's going to end up on a research table!

Charlotte closed her eyes and started to mentally count down the steps coming towards her.

1...

2...

3...

WOOF! WOOF!

Charlotte heard Thomas growl and Aline's screaming. She opened her eyes and saw that her faithful dog wasn't beside her. She didn't know how, but she managed to twist her upper body so she could see what was happening on the other side of the wall while her tail was up against the wall.

And did she owe Thomas her dinner for what she saw?

Thomas had jumped up on top of her, knocking her down in the process and started licking her. Alaine, however, was screaming her lungs off.

"Get him off! Get him off! GET HIM OFF!" Alaine screamed

Charlotte did some quick thinking and exclaimed "Thomas! Rule 1# and Rule 5#! Get off her and leave! She's not a threat! Alaine, go outside. I'll meet you at the gates in a few minutes!"

Thomas quickly got off of her and ran out of the room. Alaine got up, postured herself, and gave her a silent "Thank You" before leaving the bathroom.

Hearing the sound of the door click, signaling the door closing, Charlotte turned around to lean against the wall and sighed with relief ** _._** _That was too close,_ she thought.

* * *

**_That night..._ **

Charlotte was up late that night, midnight to be specific, on her computer looking for the phone number to Paradise Cove.

After she dried herself up, doing a double-check when her tail disappeared, put on her clothes and went outside with Thomas and met up with Alaine. She apologized for Thomas's behavior and was extremely thankful that she was forgiven, though it would take a while before warming up to her. After that, Charlotte called her mom to pick her up while Alaine's ride came and got her.

When Annette got to the school, she has scowled her for being there so late and the drive home was quiet with limited small talk. By the time they arrived home, Charlotte decided to take a long bath.

Or, in other words, she spent a good _3 hours_ looking at her tail. The dorsal fin was scarlet red and the tail part was a deep, sparkling, magical blue. It was exactly like the way she saw it back at Paradise Cove, only proving that she wasn't imagining anything.

 _How could I have a tail?_ she thought to herself, _I haven't been anywhere near a moon pool nor found one at all!_

And that was saying something was wrong. Right before she walked away from Lewis that fateful day, she told him- now she promised- that she would never go near a moon pool for the rest of her life. Meaning: Till the day she died. And even if she found one, she would do her best to keep it hidden, but never jump in it, especially on a full moon.

Now, look at what happened?! She somehow broke her promise and now she's a mermaid again. AGAIN! And she did NOT want it!

So, while she was searching for the number on her computer, she racked through her brain trying to figure out anything that would reverse the transformation. Suddenly, she remembered the "showdown" between her and the other mermaids. Since it was the night she lost her powers, she could easily remember the planetary alignment.

Every 50 years, all the planets align with the moon. Any mermaid that was in a moon pool during this time would lose their powers forever. Though the old her would have jumped for joy and did a happy dance, celebrating the return of her tail and powers _permanently_ , the new Charlotte was just getting back into the "normal life" routine, despite having a year of it, and didn't need them anymore.

Bingo!" she exclaimed when she found the phone number.

As she grabbed her phone and started to dial the number, she stopped. Could she trust them? After all, they were acting strange, like they were keeping something from her. Though she didn't push on it and told Laguna what she saw. For all she knew, they all probably thought she was crazy!

Suddenly, she started to scroll down her contact list and found a number that she should've deleted a long time ago.

A _really_ long time ago.

She clicked on the number and the person on the other side answered.

"Hello?"

"Lewis, it's Charlotte. I have a situation on my hands and would you rather hear this on the phone or video chat?"


	11. Unexpected Calls and The Legend, Part 2

_Previously..._

_Suddenly, she started to scroll down her contact list and found a number that she should've deleted a long time ago._

_A really long time ago._

_She clicked on the number and the person on the other side answered._

_"Hello?"_

_"Lewis, it's Charlotte. I have a situation on my hands and would you rather hear this on the phone or video chat?"_

* * *

**Present time...**

"So, let me get this straight," Lewis said as the two were talking to each other through the computer screen.

They were using an international link through Skype to talk to each other, and thankfully, he was straightforward on listening to Charlotte explain her 'problem', if she could call it that. After saying hello and talking about how their lives were, _not mentioning the girls_ , Charlotte went straight to the point and told him what happened, mainly trying to avoid an awkward moment between them.

"You're a mermaid again?! Wait! Let me do something right quick." Lewis reached into a drawer in his desk, pulled out a flash drive, and plugged it into his computer. He waited a few minutes before talking again. "Alright, I made sure no one can try to listen in or try to hack into my laptop. So tell me, as clearly as you can, what happened."

Charlotte started to explain the incident in the locker room the best that she could, minus what had happened with Alaine.

"I don't know how, but I was in the middle of a shower when I changed. I dropped my soap, picked it up, and ended up falling to the floor, but instead of falling on my legs, I had a tail," she said.

"But you told me you would never go near a moon pool and nevertheless, jump in one during a full moon," Lewis said, a little hurt. Normally, Charlotte would have taken pity on him and all. But she wasn't having that and she was starting to get angry.

"That's the point!" she said through her gritted teeth. "I don't remember getting in one! I was like one day, I'm lying on the grass next to a broken-down bus and the next day, I'm waking up in a hospital!"

"Wait! You were in the hospital!? First of all, I need to see you change, because, for all I know, you could have hallucinated," he said.

 _How could I?_ Charlotte thought but nodded.

She locked her bedroom door and moved the computer to the end of the bed so that it looked like she was in the middle of her room. Then, she pulled out her water bottle from her gym bag and squeezed the water from the bottle and on her hand.

...Ten seconds...Twenty seconds...

Then, her body started to get encased with water that started to swirl around her and she fell to the floor, her new tail fully exposed.

Lewis, who had a front-row seat and saw the thing, looked at her in shock. She recognized the look well. It was the same expression he had when she told- more like showed him the first time she was a mermaid.

"Charlotte... I swear, if I ever get to come to America, I need to visit you. I don't know how, but I should be grateful that you called me the moment you found out. But why are you just changing now? Does it have anything to do with you being in the hospital?"

This got her. Is it possible the only reason she didn't change was that she was in the hospital? But that was impossible. The nurses could have bathed her while she was unconscious. Plus, she took a shower the day she left and she didn't form a tail then.

Then, his phone rang. He looked at it with a panicked expression and then looked at Charlotte, who had managed to drag herself back to the bed.

"It's Cleo. Listen, when I can, we have- no, we _need_ to talk. You need to tell me what happened earlier or before you got sent to the hospital. I'll try to work on this and get back to you as soon as I can."

Charlotte sighed in relief. Though no one knew this, unlike the girls, Lewis was the _only_ one who had _fully_ forgiven her. Plus, how would Cleo sleep at night knowing that Lewis and she still kept contact with each other?

Suddenly, something crossed her mind.

"NO! I'm sorry Lewis, but if you ever come to America for whatever reason, stay for that reason only. Don't you DARE come to visit me! I mean if-" she was about to continue but Lewis stopped her.

"I know what you're trying to say. You didn't come to me with this as a lover or anything, but you're coming to me as a friend, and for the fact that I'm the _only_ mermaid researcher out there that you know that'll talk to you. Don't worry, Charlotte. Your secret's safe with me."

She swore under her breath. If the Old Charlotte heard those words, it would have made her swoon. But this Charlotte wasn't like that. She just gave him a polite smile, which he returned.

Then, his phone started to ring again.

"Thanks. Anyways, I gotta go and dry this tail off before my mom tries to come in here and Cleo gets sick of calling you and decides to visit you. Bye!"

Before Lewis could say anything, she ended the chat and logged out of Skype. And right on cue, her tail disappeared and she was back in her normal clothes. The first thing she did was unlock her door and opened it, only to show Thomas sitting there, looking at her.

"Well, you coming in?"

He did and made himself comfortable as he laid down on the floor, by the foot of the bed.

She sighed as she moved her laptop and laid on the bed, staring at the white ceiling.

What was she gonna do?

She couldn't wait for the next alignment. By the time it happened, she would be close to an old woman.

And now she was wondering if telling Lewis was a mistake. Sure, he had enough knowledge to help her and all, but thinking back to when she first told him she was a mermaid, the first thing he did was tell the others.

And that was one thing she knew for sure: The girls could not, in capital letters, NOT know that she's a mermaid again.

And as much as she wanted to think about herself, she was thinking about Cleo.

Charlotte could never forget how horrible she treated her, even if someone saw her point-of-view and went against the girls, she caused that herself and there was no way of taking it back.

That's truly why she returned the locket to Lewis and didn't apologize to girls directly:

She was unworthy of their presence.

Suddenly, she looked at her computer screen and saw _it._

The number to Paradise Cove Café.

She quickly grabbed her phone and redialed the number. Maybe they'd think she was crazy... _or maybe they were concerned about something._

But she knew one thing: Laguna owed her an explanation.

* * *

**That Saturday...**

Phil had no problem taking her, and Thomas, to Paradise Cove. He got a new bus, though his employers had given him a time limit since the 'incident'.

After he dropped them off in the parking lot, she saw a sign with the word _NO PETS ALLOWED_ near the beach entry _._ She knelt to Thomas and said "I need to go in and see someone. So, stay here and don't let anyone call animal control on you, OK?"

WOOF!

She scratched him behind his ear affectionately. "That's my good boy." With that, she tied him to a pole and started walking to the café.

* * *

The beach wasn't as crowded as usual, so the café was half empty. Charlotte walked up to the register to find herself greeted by Karen.

"Why, Charlotte, it's been a while," she said with a smile on her face. Charlotte returned it.

"Well, I was wondering, is your mother was around?" Charlotte asked.

Karen smiled as she pointed to the outdoor patio on the side of the café. Charlotte turned to see Laguna's back facing her.

"She's been waiting for you," Karen said. "Go talk to her. She's been out there all morning."

Charlotte took her suggestion and went to join Laguna.

Laguna was staring out at the beach. From the back, her long, grayish-black hair was flowing down along her shoulders and she was wearing a plain blue dress and had no shoes on.

She looked at peace.

Charlotte started to turn away when she heard Laguna say, "I've been expecting you."

* * *

"You know, when you told me about your 'vision', it wasn't that hard to believe," Laguna said to Charlotte as the two were seated at a table, drinking some ice-cold lemonade that Karen had brought them. Charlotte was surprised, and a little taken back.

"There is a legend, well, a story you might think, that's been passed down through my family for generations. But I have one single question for you."

Charlotte was listening.

"Do you believe in mermaids?"

Charlotte did her best not to roll her eyes. _No, I've been one for a few months last year,_ she thought.

"No, I mean, not like the 'Little Mermaid' type, but the stories that my grandmother had told me when I was little. They made me a believer for a while."

Laguna looked at her. "Oh really. What were they about?"

Charlotte gave a fake shrug and said "They were usually about three girls who find a hidden cave with a pool of water. And during a full moon, it gave them powers and turned them into mermaids. I don't remember the powers very well, but I think it was something like wind, water, or fire or so something. Aside from that, her other stories were about the sea."

Charlotte knew what she was doing. If she played it off like she didn't care, she wouldn't sound like she was telling the truth and this discussion would be bearable.

Laguna smiled at her. "She sounds like a fine woman _and_ a good story-teller. Maybe I could meet her someday."

"I don't think that'll happen. She's dead."

Charlotte didn't mean to say it _so_ bluntly. But she wanted to avoid this topic. You see, just like the Australia incident, because she had to steal that tape from Cleo and watch it, she ended up finding out her grandmother's secrets and look where that got her!

Laguna frowned, then gave her an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry dear. I shouldn't have said that. But it truly sounds like she was a nice woman."

Charlotte smiled to herself a little. _Yes,_ she thought, _yes she was true indeed._

"But you got two of those right."

She looked at Laguna. "Two of what?"

"Two of the powers from her stories. In my family, we call them the Original Three: water, fire, and ice. Oddly enough, the 3 States of Matter. If you'd like, I can tell you what that's got to do with the legend, if you want?" Laguna asked.

Charlotte noticed something. Unlike when they first met, Laguna had a strong, stern look on her face. This time, she had a friendly expression.

"Alright, but only since it sounds interesting," she said. Laguna smiled at her, her teeth brightly shining in the sun.

"It started a million or two years ago when most of the earth was covered in water and water was suddenly bringing in the new land? Well, that sounds wrong. Let's see... ahh. Do you believe in the movies based on mermaids?"

Charlotte knew what she was talking about. "The Little Mermaid, Fishtales, Thirteenth Year. And Aquamarine. Yeah, I saw that movie. Cheesie, but fun to look at. The idea that mermaids can talk to sea animals and create waves is kind of ridiculous though."

She wasn't lying about that. Upon learning about the very existence of mermaids, she tried to find any books about them and binge-watched any relative movies she could find to get and sense of any patterns to make sense of it all. The whole concept that different colored tails were what real mermaids looked like and all was just pure fiction to her and she didn't believe it.

Then again, no one would believe that she was a mermaid once.

"Well," Laguna said, "they're real."

Charlotte did her best to look surprised as she continued.

"They're real. The source of power behind being a merperson is a mystery. Well that, and the Full Moon of course. But I've always had a theory to it: After the apes moved towards land, some moved towards the sea, and eventually, looking exactly how they were described: More fish than human. Probably came to be from living in caves and coming across one with a pool, like those from your grandmother's stories, and acquired a tail. But some started to change, their tails turned to different colors and the upper part of their body looking more like a land dweller, or human if you prefer. But this was a natural evolution with a hint of something supernatural. It couldn't be stopped. But, like any history, being something mysterious and powerful always yielded rebels who wouldn't conform and turn dark. We call them the Dark Ones. They tend to stay under the radar, using mostly living up to the reputation that merfolk drowned humans and such, fond of the older, forbidden traditions and refused to hide like their brethren, who were used to hiding in the vast oceans, occasionally helping humans, but stayed for from land dwellers. Unfortunately, there was a time the Dark Ones appeared more often than not."

Charlotte felt the urge to interrupt and did so.

"Wait, you mean to tell me that the mermaids that some mermaids went rogue and retreated to the darkest parts of the ocean? And what do you mean by their 'brethren'?" she asked.

Laguna's eyes widened and looked at her for a moment and then began to talk. Charlotte swore she had seen her eyes light up in joy for her question.

"The 'others' fit the description of the 'Little Mermaid'. They look like a land dweller at the top and a fishtail at the bottom. And they were more or less like what merfolk lore portrayed, staying out of human business unless necessary. Even protecting them when they were caught up in the works of Dark Ones. Humans have gone into places they have no idea the Dark Ones live, though I can't blame them. As far as most people know, mermaids were a type of fiction that was told to kids when they go to bed at night and most hope to grow out of. So you have no way of knowing your entering dark territory. Just don't speak of about the African slave trade. That's a harsh topic for those near the African coasts, understandably, since they tried to rescue as many of those captives who went overboard and weren't always successful."

Charlotte was surprised at this new information. She had no idea how much _true_ background info that mermaids had, even if this was the basics. It almost felt like she had just opened up a door to something big. Something new.

If Lewis wasn't so nice, he'd probably kill for this information. Mostly because it fills in the holes in his research.

But this wasn't what she came for and had to get to the point.

"Miss Cove-"

"Call me Laguna, dear."

"Laguna, last time I was here, you told me about a legend in response to my 'vision'. That's the main reason I'm here: I want to hear it."

For a moment, the expression a Laguna's face stood still, almost looked like it was filled with darkness, and she didn't say anything. But it took a few moments before she exhaled a breath she was holding in and began to talk.

* * *

"I might never know of the origins of how the stories that your grandmother told you came to her, but I can say she told stories close to an old legend in my family. You see, I come from a long line of merfolk followers. We, as in my family, knew that they existed, but never bothered them. Instead, we made sure to protect them and keep their existence a secret in any way. Though many people never believed anything about merpeople and my family's association with them (a fact we ensured never happened), every once in a while, a tail would stick out of the water for reassurance," Laguna grinned as she said that. I could I have sworn I saw a hint of mischief in her eyes.

"So, your family was like some kind of mermaid protection program?" Charlotte asked.

"Somewhat. No one knows how _that_ started, but I guess that it took long enough to garner that trust. But this is how the legend started:

Somewhere in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, there was a pod of mermaids. And inside that pod were 3 young mergirls: Marana, Ane'lie, Marana's little sister, and my namesake, Laguna. The three were some of the last mermaids to get their powers. Ane'lie, Ane for short, was a free spirit, and aside from the "Ursula" fiasco, she could have been Ariel, with that spirit and long, red hair.

Marana was sort of the leader of the group and the beauty, or so I heard. Ane would do small errands for her and did as her sister told, mostly out of love. My namesake was a little different. She was born with the ability to see the past, most likely to prevent problems in the future. She was a good friend of Marana's and a best friend to Ane. Both of them were known for playing tricks and pulling pranks. Though that _constantly_ got them in trouble with the elders, as you teenagers say, it was worth it."

Charlotte chuckled.

"On the night the girls and the others got their powers, something went... strange. Marana received the ability to control fire, which was joyous for her. Laguna received the ability to manipulate water, much to her liking. But Ane... she received all three powers that night: fire, water, and ice. Typically, it always starts with one ability (which happens to suits them most) and the other abilities develop over time. So imagine the shock that she'd developed all of them together. And with that, she needed training. For a while, the trio had control over their powers. Heh, Ane and Laguna made a habit of using their powers to play pranks on the pod while Marana was more or less at the butt of their jokes!

But one day, they swam into the open sea and ended up in shark-infested waters. Ane wasn't looking and somehow... just on instinct, she turned around and froze a great white shark completely. Because most sharks are cold-blooded, they need warmer waters to stay alive. The Great White is partially warm. But, Ane'lie somehow managed to freeze it completely, and with one push forward, the shark shattered into bloody pieces of fragments."

Laguna held her hand up, made hand gestures like Emma's, and pushed it forward. It seemed as if she was just demonstrating it until there was a loud crash behind them. The two turned around to see Brendan on the ground, wearing strange-looking gloves and picking up shards of broken glass. Charlotte pointed to the gloves and raised an eyebrow at Laguna.

"He always pricks himself, so we made him wear gloves," Laguna explained. Charlotte nodded in understanding and told her to continue.

"Laguna and Marana were there when it happened. It's safe to say they got out of there quick! While Laguna wanted to take Ane to the council, the merfolk council, and see if they could at least suppress her powers, Marana had a different plan at the time. She reasoned that no one had to know what happened. And it was an act of self-preservation. Though Ane'lie didn't go to the council, her sister had her doing more strange 'errands' at the time, a task Ane always did out of love and obedience.

However, as the years passed and the three mergirls turned into beautiful mermaids, they were starting to grow apart. Marana seemed to be getting... darker, like rebelling against the pod, breaking the rules, and many other things. A Dark One. Laguna didn't know what was going on with her friends. While Marana was being dark and manipulative, Ane was being secretive and mute, the exact opposite of who she was. One night, Laguna went to face them and overheard the sisters' terrible plan... to use to take control of the land dwellers."

Charlotte didn't realize how into the story she was until Laguna told her to wipe the drool from her face and continued.

"As hard as it was to believe, Marana had planned this since the shark incident. Whenever the pod found a new moon pool, Marana would force Ane into it and make her get new powers. Not impossible, but a difficult feat. Do you understand what I'm saying? Marana was making her sister so powerful that it would have been unearthly of the consequences. Laguna told the council immediately and they all agreed to suppress her magic, for her sake and theirs.

But it was too late. On the surface of the Atlantic, Marana had ordered Ane to create an electrical storm, one that was powerful enough no one could escape. Laguna rose to the surface and saw the largest, widest waterspout she had ever see. So many black thunder clouds covered the sky that only lightning and thunder could be seen. Then lightning hit the water as well as the thunder. It seemed like a two-person orchestra: like music. Ane was the musician and Marana was the composer. She tried to destroy the council by ordering Ane to strike them with lightning, and it nearly electrocuted everyone. The merpeople escaped from them with their lives and even Marana abandoned ship, leaving Ane'lie to finish what she started. Ane'lie found herself creating the walls of a huge whirlpool and made the hand gestures to command the storm to head towards land.

She was all alone... except for Laguna. Though she didn't know how Ane was being played like a puppet, she would always be her friend. It took a great amount of time and effort for Laguna to command the water, things she practically didn't have. At the point she was close enough t talk to Ane, she begged and pleaded for her to stop. And the moment Ane'lie saw the tears running down Laguna's desperate face, she made an eternal vow, one that could never be broken."

Charlotte was so scared to ask that she wasn't sure what to do. But she had to know. "What did she vow?"

Laguna looked at her like she was debating with herself on whether or not to tell her. But she sighed and continued.

"She specifically said:

By the power vested on myself, by the High Mermaid Council and the Moon, that I shall die at this moment but forever shall my reincarnation and descendants be land dwellers and never touch the sea forever as a merperson.

Then she glanced at Laguna in surprise as she made a vow too. She said:

By the power vested on myself, by the High Mermaid Council and the Moon, that I will spend my days on land and sea, have children and descendants that will help as I age to watch over Ane'lie's reincarnations and her descendants forever, to prevent the Great Storm from ever happening again.

With those vows made, the storm collapsed, hitting and destroying Ane'lie and surprisingly sending Laguna far away. Ever since, she had remained on this very earth, searching for her reborn friend and protecting her. That, my dear Charlotte, is the legend of the Cove family."

Charlotte stared at her in awestruck. Though part of her was trying to make a mental note to do more mermaid research, the other part of her was frozen. She now knew that there was no way that Laguna was lying to her about this. Laguna was a mermaid, or at least, her family was a group of merpeople.

But she hid it quickly and played it off. As far as she knew, her last 24 hours of being a completely normal human being were over. Her last twelve months of it was over.

"It's a good thing you came to me when you did or else you would've had no idea how to use your powers."

Charlotte looked at Laguna and quickly got up from her seat. "I'm sorry, but I think you've got the wrong idea. You see, I asked to hear the legend because-"

"Because strange things have been happening to you and you have no idea why," Laguna said, "I think that we should speak more-"

"NO!" Charlotte shouted. A few heads turned to them. To avoid the awkward moment, she leaned in close to Laguna and said "Listen, I have no idea on what the heck you're talking about. I'm just an ordinary girl with an ordinary life with ordinary problems. There's nothing special about me except that I love art and I like being average."

She knew she was in denial. Denial was a normal trait. Normal was something everybody has. Normal was something she tried to be. But that was wrong.

Then, Laguna whispered to her "You're in trouble, Charlotte. Your already a pawn in _her_ game and _she_ won't stop playing until she gets what she wants. If you just let me help-"

Charlotte didn't want to hear it. She quickly started walking away from Laguna, not wanting to hear any more of her "advice". She didn't want to be special. Special was bad. As in, no good, bad luck, no luck, just anything not good. She had drilled this into her head a long time ago. It's bad enough that's she's a mermaid, but now she was gonna cause more trouble than needed.

And this is NOT how she wants to spend her life.

Just as she got off the last step of the patio, she bumped into Brendan, who was carrying a crate of wet crabs. As they collided, the crate spilled, the crabs and the water pouring all over her.

"Oh, sorry. Are you OK?" he asked as he wiped the crabs off her and tried to help her up. But Charlotte's mind was screaming three things: water, ocean, RUN!

She got up quickly and made a mad dash as she ran to the beach and immediately dived into the water.

* * *

**READ AND REVIEW!**


	12. Reassurance and Revelations

**Previously...**

_Charlotte didn't want to hear it. She quickly started walking away from Laguna, not wanting to hear any more of her "advice". She didn't want to be special. Special was bad. As in like, no good, bad luck, no luck, just anything not good. It's bad enough that's she's a mermaid, but now she was gonna cause more trouble than needed._

_And this is NOT how she wants to spend her life._

_Just as she got off the last step of the patio, she bumped into Brendan, who was carrying a crate of wet crabs. As they collided, the crate spilled, the crabs and the water pouring all over her._

_"Oh, sorry. Are you OK?" he asked as he wiped the crabs off her and tried to help her up. But Charlotte's mind was screaming three things: water, ocean, RUN!_

_She got up quickly and made a mad dash as she ran to the beach and immediately dived into the water._

* * *

**Present Time...**

_Great,_ Charlotte thought, _now I'm back on the "no-touching-water" policy, AGAIN!_

She started to swim deeper into the ocean. She needed to get to dry land quickly and find a way to dry off.

Then, she heard a voice.

_Move to the boulders_

_Move to the boulders..._

That voice. It was helping her?

Charlotte did what it said and swam to the surface. She saw a few boulders at the edge of the beach. They were large enough to hide her. She went back underwater and swam towards the rocky shore.

A few minutes later, she dragged herself behind the boulders and hid her tail as best she could. She looked at it and noticed something strange.

For some reason, her tail was glistening and changing colors. Her dorsal fin was changing from scarlet red to violet to red again and her tail was changing from its deep magical blue to indigo to blue again.

 _Weird_ , she thought.

WOOF!

WOOF!

Charlotte turned her head and saw Thomas effortlessly climbing over the boulders, trying to get to her. And by the looks of it, he snapped his leash off. By the time he got to her, Charlotte scowled at him.

"Thomas! I told you to wait for me! Why don't you listen?!" she exclaimed. However, he took offense to this and kept barking at her.

WOOF!

WOOF!

"Stop Thomas! I said STOP!" Charlotte exclaimed, trying to stop him from attracting anybody and she did not plan on ending up in an aquarium or a laboratory anytime soon. But he kept on barking.

WOOF!

WOOF!

WOOF!

WOOF!

WOOF!

Suddenly, Charlotte made her hands form a closed fist and threw them into the ground hard.

"STOP!"

Almost immediately, a huge fire started to aflame aside her. Charlotte jumped, but since she was in her mermaid form, she couldn't go far. Then, she looked at her hands.

"Did I just do that?" she muttered to herself. Then, she noticed that her hands were still closed and remembered something.

This was Rikki's hand gesture.

She looked at the fire, then her hands, and looked at the fire again. Carefully, she opened her hand towards the fire and pulled it back, like she was pulling something towards her.

The fire disappeared.

Starting to feel giddy, a feeling that she hadn't felt in a year, she concentrated as she put her closed hand near her tail and watched as it got covered in steam and disappeared, leaving her dry and back in her original clothes.

She couldn't believe it. She had gotten her one of her old powers back. What did she do? Jump into a moon pool with similar powers or something? Though part of her, probably the old Charlotte, was doing a happy dance as she was felt the magical surge flowing through her again, the new Charlotte was terrified.

* * *

**That night at Paradise Cove...**

Laguna was pacing back and forth in the family office, having a "discussion" with her family.

And by "discussion", they were talking about their new favorite topic at the moment: Charlotte.

"I'm... I'm... I can't even begin to describe how today went! One moment, I'm telling her what could be her past and the next thing I know, she's talking and going on about being average and ordinary! ORDINARY! That's the last thing she doesn't have time for! And you heard your son, Karen. It usually takes 10 seconds for the transformation to occur. It took Charlotte longer to change! I swear-"

"Mother!" Karen interrupted rudely, "I think you're going at this the wrong way! I mean, you can't blame her! Denial is what makes a person human. And just hearing that you're a reincarnation of a mermaid, one that almost tried to destroy civilization, well, not only is that unbelievable, it's really hard to deal with, even IF she believes it! And what's so wrong about being ordinary? The idea of having friends, going to the mall and having to be invited to parties with kids your age, and having a boyfriend for Pete's sake!

Compared to being a mermaid, land-dwellers have it well, especially when their teenagers. When you're a mermaid, you have to _choose_ your friends and HOPE that you don't have to go through betrayal, you can't go anyplace fun without hoping that one drop of water won't touch you, and having a boyfriend... I'm not even going to name the horrors of that. But being a mermaid and dating is probably the deadliest thing close to being experimented on in a laboratory or on display in an aquarium. And _so what_ if it took 20 seconds to change? For the moment, she's lucky."

Jonathan and Brendan just sat on the couch and watched as the two women argued in silence. Karen was usually the one to keep her cool when her mother was ranting. But it seems that tonight, the tables were turned. Both were shouting at each other and everything.

"Soo, who's side are you on?" Brendan asked his step-father quietly.

"Easy. I'm on my team," Jonathan replied as he watched the women fight.

"First of all, young lady, if it took her longer to change, then she going to be used for deadly, and it always is, " Laguna said, "secondly, ordinary means trouble! Do you think she can have fun, like go to a _pool party_ and _not_ get wet? Or what if she does get a boyfriend? Don't you know that trusting a land dweller with the secret is practically suicide?! Every mermaid that gives up the secret is practically endangering every mermaid that has tried to stay hidden, whether they live on land or in a pod!

Heck, do you know how many of your 'suitors' I couldn't trust for the sake of our safety? Even Brendan's father, damn that man to hell, could have reported us the moment he found out that he _helped_ sired a merman with a mermaid and we would've ended up in a laboratory or something! And _she_ 's rising-"

"Mother! I've kept up this charade for long enough and I have to say it: It's Marana! The mermaid you were once friends with, the mermaid that needed an attitude adjustment, the mermaid who turned _and_ used her little sister into a weapon of mass destruction, the mermaid who fled from her sister to avoid her undoing, and the mermaid who possibly has complete control of Charlotte!

Think about her, Mother. Any moment, at any time, Marana could get into her head and Charlotte could never know what she was going to do! Mother," Karen pleaded, "Charlotte is, in her way, just a girl. A girl that doesn't need to be told that a mermaid has possible mind control over her or that the fate of the world is in her hands, or a tail. She just doesn't know what world she just entered. Just give her some time to get used to it. She just needs time."

Laguna looked at her daughter. She had lived for many centuries and Karen proved to be the only one to go as far as begging. Karen started to cry and stress, which was something a 7-month-old pregnant woman didn't need. Karen begged for only two things in her life: the first was to not go after Brendan's biological father after he left her 18 and pregnant and the second time was when she begged her for her blessing to marry Jonathan, a man who she thought was supposed to never show any love towards anyone, let alone Karen. Those decisions made her who she was Today. And now she was begging, no, pleading for something to happen under her own mother's agenda.

As Laguna turned away to leave the office, she said "She'll come when she wants to. But if Marana starts controlling her too soon, I'm finding that girl's address and dragging her down here against her will."

As she left, Karen sighed in relief. Despite just meeting Charlotte, she had already begun to like her. She wasn't sure why, but she just did.

* * *

**At Charlotte's house...**

Lewis managed to get back to her and through a secure Skype link, Charlotte told him the legend and everything.

"Amazing! I never thought of the connection. And though there's more to the history, I think you can trust her," Lewis said.

"Really? Trust a crazy woman who just claimed to be almost as old as Earth with... you know. _And if you forgot,_ I spent almost a year as an ordinary girl. I don't need a legend, much less, a tail, to destroy that. I'm a normal, ordinary girl who has a life to live you know," Charlotte said.

"You can still live your life and be normal. All you have to do avoid touching water in places like pool parties and beaches unless you plan on taking a swim by yourself. It can't be that hard."

"Lewis, don't you remember what I did too, oh, I don't know, end up back to 'normal' in the first place?" Charlotte asked sarcastically.

There was a pause for a moment.

"Yeah, I thought so."

And Lewis answered. "And what's so great about being normal. Just being an average, ordinary, _normal_ girl?"

Charlotte was quick to point out the pros and cons of that question.

"Easy, when your _not_ a mermaid, you have: _normal_ high school problems, make friends and enemies easily, go to pool parties and have fun, at least _try_ to get some bonding done with your parents, go to college and get a normal college experience like the others, and get a boyfriend and break up over and _over_ again until you find yourself wearing a long, white dress, walking down the aisle and saying ''I Do''!

When you _are_ a mermaid: you have _absolutely no idea_ if your friends are your enemies and your enemies are your friend, can't go to any water-related social activities and have fun without getting wet and running for your life, can't tell your parents _a thing_ about it, I don't think I can name the horrors of college, and for a boyfriend... you would either face rejection or be called a freak, end up on human display in an aquarium, or find yourself being cut open on a lab table! So, to sum it up, my life would be ruined as a mermaid and I can't live my life like that!"

For a moment, Charlotte turned away from the screen. She felt her eyes watering up the band felt like crying. Didn't the universe know that she learned her lesson! She suffered from depression, and possibly still is, had a shitty life for the rest of her Junior year of high school, got herself admitted to the hospital, and finding that she had a tail again was the worst thing that could happen now!

She was insanely depressed and tired of living as a result.

By the time she looked at the screen, Lewis could visibly see that she was about to cry and looked at her in concern.

"Charlotte... are you crying?" he asked her carefully. This was an entirely new view for him. He had never seen her cry and it broke his heart a little. To be honest, he expected her to cry when she lost her powers to the girls, and though he wasn't sure of it, he still wondered if she cried herself to sleep afterward and when she gave back the locket, she didn't even shed a tear. **(1)**

Though the others would kill him for thinking this, when he asked for the locket back, he thought he was overstepping his boundary there. After all, despite the locket being given to Cleo by Miss Chatham, its original owner was Charlotte's grandmother, Gracie Watsford, one of the mermaids 50-no 100 years ago, if you count the moon occurrence last year.

So, taking away Cleo and the abuse of Charlotte's powers, the locket was practically Char's birthright that had missed a generation and was given to her, taking away that she stole it, but still. He saw the hurt and pained expression that she had when she returned it, and for a little while, it bothered him.

Finding out Gracie's past and living it out had given Charlotte more of a connection to her, and after losing her powers, that locket was all she had left and by giving it back, all she had left were memories of her. And now that Cleo switched lockets with Emma and practically forgot about it, he wondered, if she still had it, would she notice it went missing, saying that it probably got lost but it was sent to Charlotte?

But knowing _this_ Charlotte and the present moment, by the time it got to her, in two weeks tops or more, he would open his front door, find a package, open it, and find the locket returned untouched along with a note saying if he tried it again she might consider _swimming_ to Queensland just to attempt to kill him.

"You know what Lewis?" Charlotte asked, causing him to break out of his thoughts and look to see her tears slowly falling down her cheeks, "some things are just worth crying over! Why don't you tell the others that! I'm _so_ _sure_ Rikki and the others would _love_ to see me so upset, or better, crying over them like the wicked witch that I am!

 _After all_ , I practically tried, and almost successfully, ruined Cleo's life, possibly hurt a potential relationship between Emma and some boy she liked, yes I noticed that, and pretty much got on Rikki's last nerve and deserved every wave of emotional abuse that she sent me! Admit it Lewis! I'm the bad guy! I'm the evil villainess that ran away home crying and let the good guys have a well deserved happy ending!

The water princess got her knight in shining armor, her locket, and her life back, the ice princess kept her tail and her guy, and the fire princess never had to deal with the evil witch ever again. All well it ends well, doesn't it! I mean, look at me!

My only friends are a dog and possibly my bully, I rarely paint or have anything to do with art, my mom is rarely home and when she is, she ignores me, I've been hospitalized twice and..and... I'm a mess, a nobody, a loser and that's all I'll ever be! If I get _one_ good thing, something bad happens, and I'm lost! You.. your special! You have a mermaid for a girlfriend, have mermaid friends that you do 'tests' on, your smart like crazy, you.. you.. you guys are the special ones! The ones with a purpose in life! I'm...I'm a waste of space..."

And that's when the waterworks started.

She busted into tears and started to let out soft wails, something that kept her from completely losing all her bearings. A stream of tears came pouring down her face, but no matter how much she wiped them or how quickly she did, the tears kept falling.

But what shocked and shook her to her core was that she was spilling her guts out to a guy who's supposed to be against her and she started to cry harder.

Man, she was pathetic.

But Lewis...so many emotions were going through him that, he knew that the next words that he said might dictate whether or not the next time he hears from her, it's a funeral invite.

"Charlotte Watsford!" he growled, catching her attention, "don't you dare think like that! To be honest, I'm taking away every reason from last year and stating this: Charlotte Watsford, don't even _think_ about killing yourself! Your not a loser, or a nobody, or whatever you just called yourself! Believe me, when I say this, nobody is perfect. Everybody is born with a unique trait that everybody loves. Take away everything that happened between you and the girls, I believe that you are just born one of the few people who have good sides and bad sides. For example, from the moment we met and the moment we last saw each other in person, I knew that the girl I met on her first day of school and the girl that _I_ saw loses her powers were two separate people.

Yeah, maybe you did go a little crazy, and I'm using that term politely, but that crazy girl wouldn't have tried to make as _you_ did. That girl wouldn't have given up that locket as _you_ did, she didn't try to move on as _you_ did, and as a result, this happened. And you think my life is normal?! Yes, I have a mermaid for a girlfriend, and her friends are mermaids too, but do you think that's easy!? On full moons, I get my butt kicked before and after they see it, the **_'no-touching-water-policy'_ **can get _way_ out of hand and you would NOT believe how many close calls we've had when Rikki's not around to help, after a few days since Emma went away for her family's European trip, there's already another girl their hanging out with!

My point is that you are unique and were born to do something great and from what I'm hearing, it seems that Fate has watched over you and decided that you were ready to have your tailback. Maybe in some twisted way, you were born to do some special task and if it requires you to have a tail, then it means that you're truly ready to redeem yourself. And that's the reason you can't be normal. Because, no matter what you do, you will never be normal. You're... a treasure."

Charlotte stared at him. Halfway through his speech, she had stopped crying. Those had been the best words that anyone has spoken to her so far, in a day in her life. She wiped away the remaining tears and smiled.

"Lewis, you're a philosopher."

Lewis smiled. "No, I'm just your _average, normal_ mermaid researcher and expert. Though, if I didn't have Cleo, I'd be-"

"A dead man in a lonely sea grave with nothing to do," Charlotte teased. Lewis made a goofy face and was about to retort when her vision fades to black...

* * *

_A storm. That was what the sky looked like. The sky held grey clouds that heavily rained and unleashed lightning and thunder. As the storm clouds grew darker, almost black, flashes of lightning bolts appeared everywhere._

_Charlotte looked around. She could see the sky, but saw walls of water circling her, the size of the Hoover Dam. Se held up a closed fist and opened it towards the side of the rushing water. A lightning bolt appeared and hit the side of the whirlpool, she assumed she was in the middle of, causing the pool to become electrically charged._

_Charlotte smiled. She felt an extremely powerful surge of magic flow through her. And then she moved the clouds with a wave of her hand, not only moving the clouds but creating a waterspout on the outside and a tornado on the inside._

_Then, the moon came into view. It was glowing electric blue in all its glory and she knew what she had to do. She raised her hand to the sky, in the moon's direction. She knew what she needed to do._

_Then, she heard a small cry._

_"Ana'lie...STOP!"_

_She turned around and saw a young woman-no, a young mermaid with black hair and blue eyes, manipulating the electrically charged water as she made an effort to come towards her. Her face was tear-stained and it broke Charlotte's heart._

_"STOP!" the mermaid screamed, "you don't have to do this! You don't have to listen and bow to your sister's every will! You can fight this and end-all of this madness!"_

_"I can't!" Charlotte yelled, "If I try, I would lose everything that I trained for and all of my sister's love and trust in me. To have more powers than any merperson and be in control of them. We merpeople shall not be harmed by any land dwellers!"_

_"But that's not your dream, it's hers! She's using you, Ane. If she loved you, she wouldn't have left you to die! And even if you lived, you would be hunted down, exiled, or worse, there'll be no more merpeople in general if you let her win! PLEASE, you were blessed to use these powers. Don't abuse them!"_

_Charlotte looked at the mermaid's face and looked around. There was not a merperson in sight, except for those two. Everything was so dark... empty. The mermaid was pleading at the mercy of her friend to stop her plan._

_Her friend...her...sister?_

_How could she be so stupid?_

_Her best friend. The one who always helped her with pranks since they were mergirls. The one who saw what she did to that shark and wanted to have her powers rendered for her sake. The one who she avoided under the command of her sister. The only one who had the power to face her at this time instead of fleeing for her good._

_She was Charlotte's true sister._

_Charlotte looked up at the moon. It was giving off a powerful aura that she knew would decide everyone's fate._

_And she knew what it was._

_She had to make a vow._

_She raised her hand to the moon and said "By the power vested on myself, by the High Mermaid Council and the moon..." she knew what she was about to say next would change everything, but it had to be said, "that I shall die at this moment, but shall forever will my reincarnations and my descendants live as land dwellers and never touch the sea as a merperson FOREVER!"_

_There was a loud thunder-clap after her vow was made._

_It was eternal._

_As she readied herself for her ultimate sacrifice, she heard her ''sister''s voice and completely unexpected words._

_"By the power vested on myself, by the High Mermaid Council and the moon, that I will spend my days on land and sea, have children and descendants that will help me as I age to watch over Ane'lie's reincarnations and descendants to prevent the Great Storm from ever happening again!"_

_Ane'lie?_

_Charlotte looked at the mermaid who, despite her tear-stained face, was smiling at her._

_She smiled back, knowing that they will never be separated again._

(THUNDERCLAPS)

_Charlotte closed her hand toward herself and looked at the moon. It was glowing dangerously blue, due to too much power from the two vows._

_She looked at the mermaid and whispered,_

_"Goodbye, my sister."_

_She opened her hand and lightning, combined with the moon's energy, immediately struck her._

_All fades to black..._

* * *

"Charlotte!Charlotte!...CHARLOTTE!" Lewis yelled.

Charlotte snapped out of her trance and looked at Lewis, whose face was filled with panic and anger.

"Charlotte, what happened? Do you know or have any idea how much trouble you nearly gave me?! While you were having some sort of 'blackout', my mom almost walked in and saw you! And believe me, if she saw me talking to you, she'd tell Cleo and it's all over!"

But she wasn't listening. Instead, she asked Lewis to do something for her.

"Lewis, I have some homework for you. Look up anything to do with storms or moon occurrences recorded before or after 1010 A.C. and _please_ tell when you can that you'll find something."

Lewis looked at her skeptically. "Sure, Char, but what does this have to do with the legend or the 'Great Storm'? And why did you space out?"

Charlotte looked at him carefully and revealed her revelation.

"I...I...I think I just had a flashback or... a memory."

His eyebrows widened a little. "Of what?"

She gulped. "The day the storm was created... and the vow."

"What vow? You didn't..." then his eyes widened in shock, "Charlotte you didn't..."

But she nodded, knowing what he meant.

"I am Ane'lie's reincarnation."

"Wait! But if you're her, then, if possible, that makes Laguna your..."

Lewis didn't need to say it. It was already confirmed.

Charlotte Watsford is the reincarnation of the mermaid, Ane'lie.

Laguna wasn't named after her namesake. She was the real Laguna and Ane'lie's guardian.

And Charlotte's life was in danger.


	13. Time to Come Out

_1 Month Later: September..._

Charlotte found herself standing outside the Paradise Cove Cafe once again.

It's been a month since, well, everything happened.

Charlotte had given herself a month of her own personal 'exile' from Paradise so that she could focus most of her energy on whatever was left of her 'normal' life and when she _did_ return to Paradise, she would be ready to face all the craziness that would be thrown at her.

After that talk with Lewis that night and her "flashback", Lewis continuously insisted that if he had it, he could use some time from some scholarship in the States that he's applying for to come to Cali and see her.

Though her old self might have loved to have him for company, truth be told, this Charlotte let out her inner devil and threatened Cleo's life if he even dares try to cross the California border. And as evil, as that may have sounded, it was either that or become subject to Cleo's thoughts of her boyfriend cheating on her.

But Lewis scoffed at her, knowing that she wouldn't do such a thing, and her decision to "change herself" goes against that.

And she had to admit, he was right.

Damn him.

But luckily he was still in Australia and he won't bother seeing her.

Plus, it wasn't like she was scared of the girls. But if they found out that she was a mermaid again, they would practically give her the death sentence, and knowing Rikki's temper, she wouldn't mind delivering it, _personally._

Plus, and this thought came to her again and surprised the heck out of her: How would Cleo sleep at night knowing that her EX-rival was a mermaid again, and, nevertheless, talking to _her_ boyfriend?

As far as Charlotte was concerned, as long as the girls didn't know, she and everyone else didn't lose their heads.

But some good news came, along with the bad.

1.) Charlotte got on the softball team, much to everyone's surprise, except Alaine's.

_The week after she found out her startling revelation, she was walking into her school when Alaine rushed up to her with a smile she was sure couldn't have fit her face and was dragged to the bulletin board. The girls who tried out saw her coming as made a path for her like she was royalty or something._

_"Alaine, what's going on?" she asked._

_"Look who made the team!" Alaine said excitedly._

_Charlotte let go of her hand and read the setlist._

_" **AFTER A TOUGH VOTE, WE ARE PROUD TO ANNOUNCE THE NEW SHIELD MAIDENS TO OUR SOFTBALL FAMILY:**_

**_Alaine Williams_ **

**_Clari Mills_ **

**_Charlotte Watsford-"_ **

_Wait what?_

_Charlotte turned around and all the girls started to hug her, screaming "congrats" or "good job" to her. It was nice and suffocating at the same time. At least she had a good idea of why Rikki can be so cold._

_"Girl, I think coach saw that, though you needed a little work on your throwing, you could be a good addition to the team," Alaine said, "so, all you need to do is manage your schedule well and there we'll see how good you are at your first game!"_

_After everyone was done either cheering for the fact they survived try-outs or being cheered up for not making the team, the bell rang and they all went to class._

2.) Her first choir recital was coming up, much to her mother's joy.

_Somehow, and someone, had videotaped Charlotte's audition and sent it to her mom. To be honest, she thought that telling her mom herself about the recital would spark her interest, and by interest, she meant overly joyous and proud. But someone took the honor of videotaping her audition and sent it to her mom's cell phone. And Charlotte was completely clueless about the thing._

_One day, when she got home from school, she took the leash from Thomas's collar, since she knew he wouldn't run away, and opened the front door to her house. She saw that her mom's car was in the driveway, so she knew that Annette would be inside the house._

_"Mom?" she yelled as she entered the house, "where are you? I've got something exciting to tell you!"_

_But her mom didn't answer. Instead, she found a not on the wall that read: **GO TO LIVING ROOM** and a huge arrow pointing the way. Charlotte looked at Thomas and followed the arrows._

_When they entered the living room, they found Annette sitting on the couch, but in her hand was, a denim-covered journal with the words **CHAR-MAZING** written in some type of red fabric on it and, to her astonishment, an acoustic guitar with a velvet-red cover on it!_

_"Mom..."Charlotte said in shock. As much as she loved her mom, this gift was something she didn't even know they could afford._

_"You know, " her mom said, getting up from her seat, "when you told me that you were in the choir, to be honest, I thought you were a backup singer. But when I got sent a video from someone unknown saying to watch and listen, I could not believe that my little girl was had a voice like that, and definitely could not believe that she put together such a beautiful song._

_So, I took a trip to a music store, and thanks to a really good employee there, I decided to get you a guitar and a personal song journal._ _The words on the journal were ironed on, but the guitar came as it is. I know that I haven't been a good mom lately, but I want to make it up to you. So, here you go. All we need to do is add a lock for the journal and put the strings on the guitar and tune it up. What do you think?"_

_Charlotte looked at her. As much as she loved her mom, she didn't think that buying her anything was needed to show it. She just needed her to be around._

_She grabbed the gifts from her mother's hand and hugged Anette._

_"THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!" she screamed in delight, "and it's funny you got me something music-related. How would you like to be at my first recital?"_

To clearly state it, her mom would see her sing in person.

And 4.) Much to Lewis's pestering, and accidentally using her power to burn stuff, she found out what her powers were.

_While Charlotte's mom was out of the house for the day, Charlotte decided to test her powers. Lewis was away from his town for the day, so he decided to grab his laptop and use video chat at the hotel he was staying at._

_Charlotte brought in a small, water-filled pot from the kitchen. Lewis was watching from the end of the bed, so he had enough view to see her 'demonstration', as he called it._

_"Alright," Lewis said, "are you ready to begin? All you have to do is put the pot on the table." He was shaking nervously._

_Charlotte, however, was trying to slow her heartbeat. This was her fourth time, or whatever, who's counting, testing her powers. Since the other times didn't go so... well, this had to do._

_She gently put the pot on a table she brought out from the coat closet and looked at the computer screen._

_"O.k., now what?" she asked._

_"Try to mimic the hand motions that the girls make. You told me how you hit the sand with your hands closed and a fire started. So, that's Rikki's hand motion. So, and don't be afraid for this, but try to copy Cleo's hand motion," he said._

**Why don't you tell me to go get hit by a bus** , _Charlotte thought._

_After taking a deep breath, she did the hand motion. She opened her right hand into a claw gesture and turned it to the pot. Then, she raised her hand. She closed her eyes and tried to draw in all the concentration she could muster._

_Lewis watched through the screen as the water rose out of the pot in her will. Charlotte opened her eyes and was surprised at what she was doing, but did her best to keep focus._

_"Well_ _**that's** a relief," Lewis said, masking his nervous tone with a sarcastic once, "you have Cleo's powers again. Now try Emma's."_

_Then, Charlotte opened her hand and form a "STOP" hand gesture and the water pillar immediately froze, as if she was doing it on instinct._

_"Alright, you've got Emma's. Now, try doing Rikki's."_

_Charlotte closed her hand at the frozen pillar and watched as the pillar immediately started to steam up until it was no longer there and the pot filled with water like before, only it was hot._

_"And you have Rikki's. So, as far as my guess goes, you somehow ended up in a moon pool that brought back your original powers. But I noticed that each power was quicker than the others," Lewis concluded._

_Suddenly, an idea struck her._

_"Hey! Watch this!"_

_She put her hand in a claw motion and caused the water to rise again and form a ring around her._

_"Charlotte, what are you doing?" He asked. But Charlotte wasn't done yet._

_When all the water was completely out, she started to imagine the body of a dancing octopus. And almost immediately, the ring formed a little ball and took the form of a dancing octopus-like she imagined._

_"Oh, so your powers are tied to your imagination? Funny," Lewis said in a sarcastic, teasingly way._

_But she surprised both of him and herself. She made her hand into a fist, thinking it would evaporate, but instead of heating it, the octopus turned into a crystal-hard figurine. The octopus fell from the air and Charlotte quickly caught in her hand just in time. She left behind the table and hopped on the bed to show Lewis._

_"So, what do you think just happened?" she asked, showing her figurine to him through the screen._

_Lewis didn't say anything. He just looked at her in shock. It wasn't like the expression he wore when he saw her tail-no, tails. But it was of pure shock._

_"Lewis? Lewis, are you okay?" she asked him. She saw him mutter something and asked him to repeat that._

_"Um, Charlotte," he said extremely nervous, "do you remember when I told you about the new girl who the girls started hanging out with?"_

_"Yeah, you did mention her. She came after Emma left, which surprised me that the girls would already replace her, but she's human. It just won't work out," she said._

_Lewis gulped. That was her opinion and he respected that, but she thought that Bella was normal? He wasn't sure how to explain this to Charlotte. After all, he could tell that she was trying to change herself for the better. But how do you tell your ex-girlfriend, who used to be a power-hungry mermaid who lost her tail, that she might have received a power that came from a different moon pool?_

_Well, he was going to say it. Just really fast._

_"Well, um, Charlotte, you_ _see...thenewgirlisamermaidwhosteppedintoamoonpoolwhenshewasnineandbecauseshewasinanemptymoonpool,likeyoushehasthreepowersandyoujustdidoneofherpowers!" Lewis said speedily. **(1)**_

_To be honest, he hoped that she didn't understand him. You see, compared to Charlotte, Bella was only able to get into the 'club', as he called it because she was already a mermaid, and she didn't have a crush on any of the girls' boyfriends. Plus, with Emma gone, she had easily fitted in. And with Charlotte trying to change herself, he knew that her old self could easily pop up and go on a somewhat well-deserved rampage._

_But Charlotte was full of hidden talents._

_"Mermaid expert who happens to be my ex-boyfriend say WHAT!"Charlotte exclaimed, clearly outraged._

_Yep, despite how fast he said it, she heard him crystal clear._

_Lewis was on high alert and quickly tried to calm her down._

_"Now, Char, I-I know it seems a little unfair to you," **that's an understatement** , "and maybe it was for the better," **no, it wasn't** , "and besides, Emma's gone, so of course they added her to the group."_

_Lewis earned himself the death penalty._

_Charlotte's eyes started to twitch and she started to grit her teeth as her face started to turn red. The octopus fell to the floor as she put her hands by her side and started to mentally count to 20...then 19...then 18...then 17...then 16...then 15...14...13...12...11..._

_10..._

_She knew how she was about to react._

_9..._

_This response was very irrational._

_8..._

_The girl she left in Australia was about to come out..._

_7..._

_and she was doing her best to keep her down._

_6..._

_The other girls had no right to replace Emma._

_5..._

_And they had no right to accept a new girl in!_

_4..._

_Her eyes started to blink and twitch fast._

_3..._

_"Um' Charlotte? I think I should log out before you start to...um...bye!" Lewis quickly said._ _Then, the screen went black._

_2..._

_Then, the screen went black._

_1..._

_And thankfully, it was just in time._

_'Why...those...little..."Charlotte said through her hard, gritted teeth and then busted into a large screaming outburst at the top of her lungs and started to swear words no one thought she knew that echoed all through the house._

_And poor Thomas, who was outside her open door and hid under Annette's bed until Charlotte stopped screaming._ **(2)**

Safe to say, Lewis didn't hold her outburst against her and, thankfully, was still talking to her. He told her about the other two powers the new girl, that's what Lewis called Bella for Charlotte's sake, and urged her to practice them, which resulted in more aquatic animal figurines. He told her that the new girl's powers were close to Cleo's, but could turn anything into jelly.

"Well, at least I can learn to make Jell-O easily," Charlotte joked after hearing this.

And now, here she was, standing outside the Paradise Cove Cafe, ready to face the wrath of an old, _old_ woman.

 _Who just so happens to be your guardian,_ she thought.

She took a deep breath and started walking towards the cafe. The place was busy as usual. The tables were filled with families, couples, friends, and anybody who loved the beach. There was so much active chatter, music, and anything else she didn't notice herself bumping into anyone until she was on the floor, holding her forehead on where a bump was about to form.

"Oh! I'm _so_ sorry, miss, I didn't look where I was going!" exclaimed a male voice as she saw him reach his hand out to her from the corner of his eye.

Still holding her forehead, Charlotte used her other hand to take his as he helped her up.

"No, you're fine. I should have paid attention and-"

She didn't finish her sentence.

She looked up to see the guy in front of her looking deep into her eyes and she couldn't help but do the same.

He had the body of a surfer dude, minus the 3-inch difference from her height, and had the built-up abs seen through his blue and redshirt. His hair was in a similar style like Lewis's from the previous year, but only it was more curler and black. His eyes were brownish-black too, though it must have been just her, it was a beautiful brown, like the type of dark chocolate that you would instantly indulge and melt into. His skin was slightly tanned, but it wasn't pale or pink either. It was in between and hard to tell. It looked nice on him.

"Riley! Stop staring at that girl with your bipolar self and get back to work!" someone shouted from behind them.

The two jumped back from each other, breaking them from their trance and caused them to blush **(3).** They turned around to see Laguna staring at Riley, which seemed to be the guy's name, with a stern look on her face, but then looked surprised when she saw Charlotte.

"Charlotte? Well, what a surprise. I didn't expect you to come by," she said.

Getting out of the "awkward" moment, Riley said "Excuse me, Miss Cove. I'll get going," and, with that, left the café after taking one last look at Charlotte.

Both of the young women watched him leave until he was out of sight. Then, Laguna turned to Charlotte.

"I hoped I saved you some trouble there. Though Riley can be a gentleman, he... has his, um, _days_ where he shouldn't be around anyone."

Charlotte turned to her and looked at her with a surprised expression on her face.

"Oh! Me-him-us-together? Sorry, but I'm not interested in dating at the moment or any time soon. But I came in looking for you! You see... I know you, at some point, were my best friend," Charlotte said, "a month ago, I had, or at least I think it was a flashback. It was during a storm and... I heard you call me Ane-"

"Get into the office! Now!" Laguna whispered angrily. Her face looked angry, but her eyes were filled with panic. She pointed towards the back of the kitchen and Charlotte went in there, with Laguna hot on her heel.

* * *

When they got in there, Laguna quickly called in her family. Soon enough, they were all seated around her, like little kids waiting to hear a story. Laguna was the first to say something.

"Charlotte, on the behalf of my daughter, I was...advised to let you have some time to yourself, but now it's time to get serious. Tell us _exactly_ what you saw."

Charlotte took a deep breath and retold her "flashback". She told them about the storm, the vows, and the lightning strike that "killed" her.

Laguna shook her head as soon as she finished. "I don't know what to think. But she's quickly gaining on you. She _knows_ you. She knows your strengths, your weaknesses, and everything else. As far as I'm concern, for every time you were reborn, something about you stays the same. But I can't help but ask, when did everything start to become 'abnormal' to you?"

 _Do you want me to start at last year or early on,_ Charlotte was tempted to say but held her tongue.

"It all started the day I moved here, the first day I came to Paradise Cove. And, if I remember right, it was short, maybe a few hours, after I passed out from receiving the 'vision' from Laguna. That night, I was out on the pier. I heard a voice calling to me, telling me to ' _come_ ' to it. It got me as far as to have me jump off the pier and almost drowned. At first, it was like a trance and I liked it. But the horn from the bus that drove me here broke of the trance. After that, I hurried out the water and went home."

The Cove's eyes widened in shock.

" _She's_ been after you since the moment you moved to California!" Karen said, "I swear, Mother, she never works that fast! Even if it wasn't her reincarnation, _she_ usually waited at least a week before possessing someone's mind. But _she_ tried-no, _she's_ already controlling you when you only spent a few hours here. How is that even possible?"

"I have a theory," Laguna said, "one that none of us are going to like."

Everyone looked at her in expectation. Charlotte just wanted to know what the heck all of this had to do with her being a damn mermaid! After all, she doesn't even know how she even ended up in a moon pool in the first place!

"I believe that...that _she_ knew that Charlotte was Ane'lie's reincarnation before we did. Possibly, she could have watched her since the day she was born. For all we even know, she could have known that Charlotte was Ane'lie for almost 18 years and had given us Potentials so that we wouldn't even come close to finding her."

Everyone stared at her in shock. From what Charlotte could tell, this was _extremely_ bad news and even she wasn't that thrilled that an evil mermaid has watched her.

"Mother! You honestly believe that we've been on a wild goose chase for a girl who might've been easy to find?!" Karen exclaimed.

"Because she wanted to be sure of something. Something that would have made sure she could be easily controlled." Then Laguna turned to Charlotte.

"Dear, I'm going to ask you an important question and I need the truth."

Charlotte was petulantly listening.

"Until recently, had you ever, ever been a mermaid before?"

Oh boy. She couldn't lie her way out of this one, but they didn't need to know the entire truth.

"Yes. When I was 16, I found out something about my grandmother, Gracie. Turns out, that along with her friends, she was a mermaid," Charlotte confessed.

"It makes sense. Your grandmother was a mermaid, so of course, Ane'lie's reincarnation would follow in her footsteps. But how were you not a mermaid until now?

This part made her nervous. Of course, it was crucial to know why, but she couldn't tell them about the girls. So, she told it quietly.

"She gave up her powers during an eclipse that came every 50 years. She was tired of being special, so she gave it up, got married later, had my mom who gave birth to me. So, in a way, I almost missed being a mermaid by a generation. But, at some point, I found and jumped into a moon pool.

At first, I was anxious about what my powers were and then I found out that I could manipulate water, freeze it, and had thermal heat powers, along with weather powers."

Everyone was shocked, except for Karen's husband, Jonathan. Laguna looked worried like she was a girl that knew her friend's husband was cheating on her and she was scared to tell that friend the truth.

"Alright, so we know the what and how in this story, now what's the _WHY_? WHY didn't you still have your powers when we all met? Did you give them up like your grandmother or something?" he asked, surprising everyone around him. They had no idea he was so into her explanation.

Charlotte gave a small sigh. She had to tell them the truth.

"I honestly wish I did that. You see, I was ticked off at a lot of people back then and I..." she took a deep breath,"...I abused my powers on them. I used my gift to make other people's life horrible and it came with a price. Do you want to know why I didn't have my powers until now? Well, here's your answer: they were taken from me. Do you hear? The same moon that took away my powers and my tail! I admit it! I was selfish, mean, and irresponsible with my powers and as karma would have it, I was lured back into the moon pool that, on the same eclipse, took away my... my only connection to my grandmother.

So, there. Now you know."

After telling them her tale, Charlotte felt something being lifted off her shoulders and a HUGE wave of comfort washed over her.

Was that relief?

There were a few minutes of silence until Jonathan spoke up and said:

" _She'_ s after you because you know how to use your powers for evil. If Laguna is right, you brought this danger onto yourself and are willing to risk others to end it. Charlotte...you are a selfish child who is naive, ignorant, and irresponsible. You are ungrateful and unworthy of your gift, and if I had it my way, I would suggest you take your leave off of this planet before you ruin any other lives." **(4)**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1) Can you unscramble the sentence that Lewis said? Winners get to be mentioned in the next chapter! 
> 
> 2) Sorry if you think Char's outburst was a little out of character, but if you were in her shoes, wouldn't you be a little angry?
> 
> 3) I know I said that Charlotte wouldn't be getting a love interest, but it wouldn't hurt to give her something to look forward to later on?
> 
> 4)Do you think that Jonathan had a right to yell at her or say those things to her?
> 
> Don't reply to me with a 'good story' or 'I like it' or etc. Tell me how you honestly feel about it.


	14. Time to Come Out Part 2

_**Previously...** _

_"Until recently, had you ever, ever been a mermaid before?"_

_Oh boy. She couldn't lie her way out of this one, but they didn't need to know the entire truth._

_"Yes. When I was 16, I found out something about my grandmother, Gracie. Turns out, that along with her friends, she was a mermaid," Charlotte confessed._

_"It makes sense. Your grandmother was a mermaid, so of course, Ane'lie's reincarnation would follow in her footsteps. But how were you not a mermaid until now?_

_This part made her nervous. Of course, it was crucial to know why, but she couldn't tell them about the girls. So, she told it quietly._

_"She gave up her powers during an eclipse that came every 50 years. She was tired of being special, so she gave it up, got married later, had my mom who gave birth to me. So, in a way, I almost missed being a mermaid by a generation. But, at some point, I found and jumped into a moon pool._

_At first, I was anxious about what my powers were and then I found out that I could manipulate water, freeze it, and had thermal heat powers, along with weather powers."_

_Everyone was shocked, except for Karen's husband, Jonathan. Laguna looked worried like she was a girl who knew her friend's husband was cheating on her and she was scared to tell that friend the truth._

_"Alright, so we know the what and how in this story, now whats the WHY? WHY didn't you still have your powers when we all met? Did you give them up like your grandmother or something?" he asked, surprising everyone around him. They had no idea he was so into her explanation._

_Charlotte gave a small sigh. She had to tell them the truth._

_"I honestly wish I did that. You see, I was ticked off at a lot of people then and I..." she took a deep breath,"...I abused my powers on them. I used my gift to make other people's life horrible and it came with a price. Do you want to know why I didn't have my powers until now? Well, here's your answer: they were taken from me. Do you hear? The same moon that took away my powers and my tail! I admit it! I was selfish, mean, and irresponsible with my powers and as karma would have it, I was lured back into the moon pool that, on an eclipse, took away my... my only connection to my grandmother._

_So, there. Now you know."_

_After telling them her tale, Charlotte felt something being lifted off her shoulders and a HUGE wave of comfort washed over her._

_Was that relief?_

_There were a few minutes of silence until Jonathan spoke up and said:_

_"She's after you because you know how to use your powers for evil. If Laguna is right. you brought this danger onto yourself and are willing to risk others to end it. Charlotte...you are a selfish child who is naïve, ignorant, and irresponsible. You are ungrateful and unworthy of your gift, and if I had it my way, I would suggest you take your leave off of this planet before you ruin any other lives."_

* * *

**_Present Time..._ **

Everyone stared at Jonathan in shock. Sure they knew he could be strict and _very_ stubborn, but he had overstepped his boundary when he said that.

"How could you even say that?" Karen asked as she stood up and got over her shock, "you don't even know her or even if what she just said was even the whole story!"

"Where's the need to? I say we have the story right here! Marana found her before _us_ , saw Charlotte abuse her powers, and intends on having her do it again! Well, it's a free country and I'm entitled to say what I like! And I'm saying that we dispose of her and live our lives!" he said as he got up as well.

Karen was shocked.

"How are you! Dispose of her?! She's a human being, not trash. And don't go blaming my hormones and anything else, but I'm not dumb. There's more to her story and I intend that we find out what happened. For all we know, she probably had a reason to go that far!"

"Karen, you know I love you, but you heard the girl. That's why _she_ wants her! Charlotte is greedy, uncaring, and she'll join her sister if she wanted to!" he said back.

The "happy couple" started to argue their lungs off afterword. Jonathan continued to say hurtful things about Charlotte, completely ignoring the fact that Charlotte was RIGHT IN FRONT OF HIM. Then, Laguna, whose face was red, jumped into the argument...though it looked like she was hiding something in the process. Brendan just covered his ears and ran out of the room without no one noticing.

Charlotte...words could only describe how she felt. Alright, she'll admit, she's done a lot of things that she wasn't proud of and made a lot of mistakes. Plus, she always thought those things about herself over and over in her head.

But hearing Jonathan say that to her...she could handle Rikki's emotional/verbal abuse most of the time, but hearing those words said by him shattered her. It was like she was lifted off a burden to only get a harsher punishment.

As the three adults started to yell louder, Charlotte's moment to speak come too soon.

"How dare you..." she said so menacingly that she got the others' attention. Then, she jumped out of her seat and started to yell.

"I CAME HERE FOR HELP AND TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE HELL WAS GOING ON WITH MY LIFE AND THIS IS HOW I'M TREATED! BELIEVE IT OR NOT, _JONATHAN, "_ said the words with malice," YOU REALLY MUST BE DENSE TO THINK I ASKED FOR THIS! I DIDN'T ASK TO HAVE SOME EVIL MERPERSON WATCHING ME AND CONTROLLING ME WITH ONE WORD NOR LISTEN TO A BUNCH OF PEOPLE I BARELY KNOW OR NEED HELP FROM!"

She felt tears running down her face like a raging waterfall. Any small makeup that she wore was got smudged and started to run down her face. Her eyes were getting red and were filled with regret, guilt, and hurt. The three adults saw this and started to feel guilty themselves, except for Jonathan.

But despite the tears running down her face, she managed to calm down a little.

"Now, since I'm not wanted here and be judged by people who won't even give me a chance, much less a choice to have the last word, I think I'll show myself out the door."

With whatever pride and dignity she had left, she ran out of the office and ran to the beach, leaving an awestruck expression on the others' faces.

* * *

_**With the Coves...** _

After a few minutes, the shock wore off on the three adults. No one had ever raised their voice to either of them like that, even Laguna, and that was saying something.

Karen was the first to break the ice. She turned to Jonathan.

"See what you've done? You just HAD to upset her like that! Don't you think you might have taken that a bit- no, OVERLY, too far!?" she asked.

Then, Jonathan turned to her.

"Karen, we can't trust her. She's bad news. She attracted Mar- _her_ herself and there's nothing that we can do about it except get rid of her," he defended himself.

"But is it worth saying that she should take her own life? I'm sorry if this hurts, but your acting like a damn fool! You don't even _know_ her and your making stupid suggestions!"

Then, Laguna jumped in.

"Jonathan, she's right. Since I've been on land, I've learned one thing about land dwellers. And that's this: they don't admit their mistakes so easily. And if they did, only a few have real guilt about it. And Charlotte is one of those few people who do. Trust me, I saw the look in her eyes. I'll admit, something like this would not be permitted in a mermaid council, but at least they let other mermaids get one more chance to redeem themselves."

"But this isn't a mermaid council, Laguna. This is about one person, a teenage girl to be exact, who has the power to end all civilization as we know it. We don't have time to go through the path of trusting her and stuff like that," he said, "for you, all you see is the mermaid that sacrificed herself for every person she endangered. But to me, all I see is a reckless girl who can't handle having power and the death of us all. We can't risk that, I can't risk that."

With that, he started to walk away from them.

But both women knew what he planned to do...

"Jonathan, you are not to harm a hair on Charlotte!" Laguna said angrily, pointing at him.

"I agree with Mother on this one! Don't you dare put your hands on her!" Karen said too, her maternal instincts and pregnancy hormones kicking in.

Then, he turned to them one more time.

"Oh really? Well give me one good reason, _one,_ that will convince me otherwise!"

Laguna was fuming. She couldn't handle the thought of him killing her friend.

"EASY! THE DAY SHE HAD THE VISION, I SAW ALL OF HER MEMORIES! EVERY LAST ONE!"

Realizing what she just said, Laguna quickly clasped her hand over her mouth.

Jonathan and Karen looked at her in shock and Jonathan no longer had the urge to kill Charlotte.

They now realized that there was more to the situation than they thought.

By accident, Laguna traded her gift of visions for Charlotte's memories and still has them.

And now Charlotte had the burden of possibly seeing the future.

* * *

_**With Charlotte's POV...** _

I ran out of the café and down the beach as fast as I could. By the time I was sure I was out of sight, I collapsed onto the warm, soft sand and let out a long-awaited wail that I held in for so long.

Was karma still against me, even after a year of depression? I'll admit, since Australia, the rest of my Junior year as a normal girl was like bad luck hitting her in the face repeatedly in every direction! But this was sort of my second year, the year I turn 18 for Pete's sake, and I felt like karma was _still_ against me!

I was seriously starting to doubt Lewis's belief that Fate's decision to let me redeem myself was false hope and only said to me out of self-pity. I didn't deserve anything that's happened to me. All I wanted to do was finally live my life my way and the right way. After all, I took in a stray dog that saved my life, joined a tough sports team, and liked it, joined the school choir, and now likes to write my songs.

Why is karma so against me after I've done all those good things?

As I continued to wail and sob, I curled myself into a ball and hid my head into my chest.

For every time I cried...I just wanted to die.

* * *

**3rd POV**

"Charlotte? Is that you?" a voice called from behind her.

She lifted her head and shifted her body a little and, to her surprise, turned and saw Riley looking at her in deep concern.

 _All great,_ she thought, _he's seen me cry._

Riley saw her tears, ran up, and held her tightly in his arms. Then, he started to rock her back and forth very gently. Charlotte's mind didn't even care about that because she was still crying and wailing to notice.

"Shhhh, it's okay. Just let it out," Riley calmly whispered into her ear. His perfect, gentlemanly voice sounded like a soothing lullaby.

Charlotte kept crying for a few minutes until her wails and sobs turned into whimper and sniffles. Riley smiled. She seemed to calm down. Then, she looked up at him. Then, after a few minutes, she instantly got out of his grasp, got up, and started to walk away.

"Hey! Wait up!"Riley called as he ran up behind her. But she didn't say anything. Why was she walking away from him after he just comforted her?

So, as a better approach, he ran in front of her. She stopped walking, but she looked away.

 _Well, she's prideful,_ he thought.

"Riley Byrnes."

She looked at him in confusion.

"What?"

Riley took a breath and said"My name is Riley Byrnes. I work at Paradise Cove as a lifeguard at the beach and the closest mother figure I have is Laguna Cove."

He had no idea and didn't intend on saying that, but that was as close to a proper introduction that he could get.

Charlotte stared at him. Her face and eyes were still red from crying and her brownish-red hair was slightly messy. He liked it.

"Listen, I know what happened back there between us was slightly...awkward, but I think we should formally introduce ourselves to one another. I told you about me. Now it's your turn."

Charlotte just stared at him. But if he looked closely into her eyes, it would seem as if she was debating with herself on whether she should speak or not.

Then, she talked to him.

"Charlotte Watsford."

This time, he was the confused one.

"Huh?"

She rolled her eyes. "My name is Charlotte Watsford. I'm 17 1/2 years old, unemployed, in my Senior year of high school, and my mom is a chef and works at a small, but a well-known restaurant in L.A."

For a moment, she smiled at him, but then hid it. Riley smiled back at her. At least he knew something about her.

"So, since we can now say that we know each other, do you... want to hang out with me for the rest of the day? I mean, my shift was up anyway, so maybe we could do something," Riley said, "I know what your thinking. I only just want to get to know you better."

He waited a few minutes for her answer, but then smiled when he got her reply.

"Ok."

* * *

_**At Sunset...** _

Charlotte was staring out at the edge of the pier...the the same edge that she jumped from a month ago.

She, to her surprise, had a great day with Riley. While avoiding any water-related activities, they played volleyball, which she was good at, rode on a dirt bike that he rented, which she liked, and, to sum it up, enjoyed each other's company.

But, as they say, all good things must come to an end. His dad called him and he had to leave. So, she stayed at the beach until her bus came to get her.

Through the purplish-orange sky, she saw the moon starting to rise over the horizon. It was a full moon.

Charlotte considered going back into the café to avoid getting moon-struck, something shedidn't want to go through again, but she didn't want to face Laguna's family. Mainly Jonathan.

As she continued to stare off into the horizon, she heard footsteps behind her. She turned around and saw Laguna walking towards her. Her hair was down and she was wearing a blue nightgown and her feet were bare.

"I thought I'd find you here," she said.

But Charlotte ignored her and continued looking at the moon. She let Laguna walk until she was right next to her.

"It's a full moon out tonight. To land dwellers, it could be the most beautiful thing. But to some merpeople, it can be the most dangerous. It's like mind control over the soul. It can guide other mermaids to their destinies. Though some believe that the moon is deadly, it's simply just doing its job. Whether its guiding mermaids to lay eggs or simply increasing their powers, it's its job," she continued, "Charlotte, because you're... a special case, you won't get affected by the moon like you were before and can resist easily."

Charlotte looked at the elder. "What do you mean by that? And besides, I'm not wanted here. Your son-in-law said that loud in clear."

"Ah, but Riley seems to think otherwise," Laguna countered back.

Oh crud, she saw them together. Even after she warned her about him. But Charlotte had a fading habit of not caring all the time.

"He was just being nice to me. That's all. Besides, what do I have that he likes?" she asked.

"That's something you need to find out for yourself," Laguna said, "and the reason I said that you're a special case is that for a while now, you were, and still are, the holder of a special gift. Something that I now no longer have. And it makes you more invulnerable to get moon-struck."

Now Charlotte was worried. "Laguna, is there something you want to tell me?"

Now, Laguna looked more sheepish than worried.

"Charlotte, do you remember what happened the day we first met?"

She nodded. "Yeah, I received a vision about me being a mermaid."

"Well, for you to receive that vision, there was a transfer."

Charlotte had a feeling that she was not going to like what was coming up next.

" _Laguna,_ what happened to give me a vision?"

Now she was going to hear the truth.

"Charlotte, I don't know how, but somehow...you got my gift to see visions. So, at first, _she_ should have been able to use words to tempt you into joining her, but instead, _she_ showed you _her_ visions, more like illusions if you ask me, to tempt you into joining her. And by now, it would've worked."

There were a few moments of silence. Laguna was really worried about how Charlotte would react. After she confessed to Jonathan and Karen, he had the nerve to demand what she saw about Charlotte, but there was no way she was telling him anything.

Then, Charlotte let out a funny choke and started laughing hard. Laguna looked at her like she was crazy.

"What are you laughing at? This is not a laughing matter! This is serious!" Laguna exclaimed.

But Charlotte started to hold her stomach as she laughed harder and had tears falling from her eyes. After a few minutes, she needed air and stopped laughing. Her breathing was heavy, but she was still holding her stomach.

As she wiped her tears, she said "I'm sorry, but part of me had to let that out. You see, if I somehow got your gift to see visions, it explains so much. There was absolutely no way I could have seen myself, _centuries_ _ago,_ with only just words _._ I had to _see_ it! And it would explain that dream Marana sent me a month ago. It was right before I became a mermaid.

It was at a beach, in Australia. There were 3 girls and their boyfriends were there. They were waiting for someone. Then, I come in," then she sighed, "we were all friends. Then, right before we dove into the water, we waved back to the boys and one of them looked at me like I was special or something. Then, after we dove into the water, we..."

She didn't want to say more, but Laguna had a good idea of who those people were.

"Cleo, Rikki, and Emma. The other mermaids you met, I presume?" Laguna asked, shocking Charlotte to death.

"Wh...wh...what?"

Laguna sighed. "That's what I've tried to tell you, Charlotte. Somehow, when you got my gift, to do that, you traded your memories for it. Charlotte, I know everything about you and some of them you're not proud of."

Charlotte was so shocked that she put her head down in shame. Laguna knew.

"Well," she said, trying to lift the tension, "since you know everything, how much do you know?"

Laguna shrugged her shoulders. "Well, for starters, you weren't born completely healthy. You had a high risk for heart failure and your lungs were almost clogged up. The doctors fixed you up, but if you were, I don't know, 10-30 feet or so up in the air, you would pass out and your heart would most likely stop."

 _Great, she knows my medical history,_ Charlotte thought.

"When you were 4, you discovered your love for art and dancing. But when you were 6 and your grandmother died, your mother couldn't fully afford the funeral and dance lessons, you dropped your love for dancing, but kept your love for art. Then, when you were 7, you won an award for a piece of artwork you had spent a week on, but your mom wasn't there. But you brushed it off so you didn't look disappointed. And after that, you constantly dealt with bullying and unwanted fights.

But the moment you lived in Queensland, Australia, everything changed for you. You were no longer teased, had a boyfriend, amazing powers that came with being a mermaid, but all you needed left was friends. I know what happened down there, Charlotte, and I know you're still in recovery from it."

Charlotte froze. Laguna knew. Having the gift of visions is one thing, but unknowingly trading for that with your memories was a complete nightmare.

"And to be honest," Laguna said, "I didn't judge you, unlike my selfish son-in-law."

Charlotte did a double-take and looked at her in shock.

Laguna used this as a reason to explain.

"Believe me, I didn't trust you the moment when I saw what you did. But that night, after Karen convinced me to let you have your space, I went through your memories again and I saw something that no one else saw."

"And what's that? I should have my memories erased as well?" Charlotte guessed sarcastically.

Laguna just shook her head and continued.

"Not even close, and besides, mermaids can't do that. Anyways, it was that despite how others see it, your actions didn't go unjustified. And to be honest, as bad as you acted, you didn't deserve to lose your tail."

Now Charlotte was looking at her like she grew two heads.

"Say what now?!"

"If my theory is correct and you did unintentionally draw _her_ to you, I can see why they took your powers away. But in a pod of mermaids, there's a mermaid council. They're there to make sure that things like that didn't go unpunished but still kept the peace, but unless you broke an ancient law, you would have still kept your tail," Laguna said.

"So, you're saying that if they knew another way, I could have kept my tail, just not my powers?" Charlotte asked skeptically.

"In a pod, abusing your powers wasn't uncommon. That happened all the time in pods. Mermaids usually don't know how to handle that much power at first, so they can easily abuse them. That's why there were mermaid councils: to stop that kind of situation from getting out of hand. The usual punishment for the abuse was usually taking away their powers temporarily, an entirely different process, and shunning them from the group. In a way, if I may use this as an example, it would've still been a mermaid in a pod, but you would've been alienated from any activities and have your powers stripped only until the council saw fit that you'd deserve them again.

Though I'll side with those girls that you didn't use your powers well, I'm completely on _your_ side that you had yet to prove yourself and that you would've kept your tail," Laguna explained.

That was a lot for Charlotte to take in. Despite how badly she acted, someone still had faith in her. And, to her, that felt pretty great and a huge honor as it was a huge responsibility.

'Well, even if I kept my tail, the girls would have HATED to see me in the water," Charlotte said, trying to ease the unnoticed tension.

"They're not a mermaid council and despite being ones for a year, they don't know the rules that go with being a true mermaid, and in my book, dating a land dweller and letting them know the secret is UNFORGIVABLE in my book!" Laguna exclaimed before calming down, "but I want you to know that you're not alone and you have people who are on your side. _Plus,_ I think that you should start training. Mar...Mara... _Marana_ will still try to possess you, mentally and physically."

Then, before Charlotte could stop her, Laguna looked at the moon. So, Charlotte kept her eyes focused on her instead of the moon.

But, to her surprise, she didn't look awestruck like the girls had looked.

"Don't worry, aside from the gift, I spent years learning to keep my self-control during full moons. Before I go, I need to tell you something: First, don't look at the moon now.

Secondly, stop thinking of yourself as a horrible person. Just because you did some of the bad things doesn't mean that you're horrible now. During my time on land, I learned that a person can either have a good side or a bad side. You are one of those people who have both of those, but your learning how to handle it. So stop being letting those girls make you so insecure and assume your role as the hero."

With that, she turned her head and started to head towards the café.

Charlotte watched her leave and thought about what she said.

Laguna truly believed that she was a different person than what she saw.

Was she insecure after the mermaid ordeal?

Truth be told...

Yes.

Did she see herself as the villain that deserved a hard life?

Yes.

Until now.

After she left Australia, she moved to a city called Atlanta in the States. At first, she was okay, but then she started to get bullied by other girls on everything about her, from her height to her weight, to her hair, to her clothes, and everything about her! Then, it got worse when she started to suffer from physical abuse...aka they had beaten her up.

And the messed up part: Charlotte saw them as the good guys and herself as the bad guy. So she let them hurt her.

In her mom's point of view, it took the promotion from her boss and a visit to her daughter's school, and accidentally seeing Charlotte's beatings in action, to have her instantly agree to move to California for her job.

But, in a way, as much as others would hate her for thinking this, she kind of _liked_ being the bad guy.

If she wasn't, like many other heroes of today, the villain gave the hero a purpose. If there weren't any villains, then the protagonist would be pushed around and have no self-confidence.

Hey, maybe she _did_ do something nice for Cleo after all.

But, the more that she thought about it, no one likes being the villain. They're supposed to have no heart or care for the world. But she had the opposite: she had a heart and cared for the world.

Then, as if she was looking for an answer to her problems, she looked up at the moon.

At the moment, she didn't feel moon-struck like she did before nor did she feel a magical surge of power flowing through her. Instead, she felt a pull on her conscience.

_Come..._

She knew that voice anywhere.

Marana.

The moment Charlotte heard the _voice,_ her mind and her body received a strong, tingling reaction, like it was forcing her to obey the command. But instead of following it, she had a different reaction. She looked up at the moon one more time, then she looked deep into the sparkling water of the sea.

" ** _NO!_ **Listen and listen good! I don't know who or what you are, though I have a _really_ good idea, I'm NOT going to be your little puppet or anything else! If you want me, then your going to have to come and get me... _personally,_ because I refuse to listen and play along in your little mind games!

Keep your visions, keep your own 'gifts', and keep EVERYTHING! Cause I don't want it or NEED IT! So... LEAVE ME ALONE!" Charlotte shouted at the water and heard her voice echo out into the open. Then, she looked at the moon.

She felt the tingling slowly fading from her as she turned around and started walking off the pier and towards the café. Though she knew there was going to be more yelling and shouting involved, with just a few terms and negotiations, she'll agree to begin her training as a powerful mermaid by an immortally-vowed mermaid named Laguna Mermaidian.

* * *

_**Somewhere in a dark cave under the sea...** _

A voice heard a declaration that, though it didn't frighten her, it left her slightly disturbed.

" _So, my dear sister has finally developed, what those hideous land-dwellers call, 'spirit' in her. And I see that Laguna has finally found out that I knew about my dear sister's existence, but no one can learn more of my plan. Perhaps I should send a dear friend of mine to look out for my sister."_

The _voice_ turned to a tiny snake that was resting on the cave floor.

_"Wake up my little pet. It's time you paid my sister a little...visit. This is something rather...interesting to watch._

_Though I pity her. Does she truly believe that she not afraid of me?"_

The cave shook as the _voice_ gave out a terrifying laugh as the tiny snake started to grow increasingly as it headed out the cave.

* * *

Charlotte truly doesn't know the amount of danger that is coming for her.


	15. Rumors

_**At Charlotte's house...** _

**(Guitar starts to play)**

_Wake up in the morning_

_All think about is you_

_It's true_

_I look into my mirror_

_And all I see is you_ _and I wonder_

_Why I feel this way_

_When nothing feels so right like the day that you are mine_

_And I can't fight this feeling anymore_

_I say hey_

_I won't walk away_

_I will always fight to save our day_

_I say hey_

_I can't walk away_

_I just hope that you come back someday_

_Baby, I won't walk away..._

**(Guitar stops playing)**

"Alright, how was that?" Charlotte asked through the phone as she put her guitar to the side. After that night at Paradise, she had felt very...inspired. So, with her mom's permission, she was driven home by Karen and the moment she stepped through the door, she grabbed her notebook and started writing.

" ** _Well... I don't know? Why don't you let me record you and send it to a record producer because you're FAN-FREAKIN-TASTIC_**!" Alaine exclaimed from the other side of the phone. Charlotte chuckled.

To say, it's surprised a lot of people that she and Alaine had become friends, was an understatement.

Those two other girls that Charlotte had seen around Alaine on her first day, whose names she had learned were Willow and Tessa, dumped her out of the blue like she was yesterday's trash and quickly found a new friend to replace her. Charlotte, being an innocent witness to the entire thing, was all too familiar with the pain of being rejected and replaced. **(1)**

So when Alaine had nowhere to sit at lunch that day, she was very surprised when Charlotte offered her a seat at her table. After a brief talk and, without spilling the secret, Charlotte told her a different version of what had happened between her and the girls and despite it all, how she accepted it.

And she, Charlotte Watsford, is still shell-shocked on Alaine's response.

_"They were idiots," Alaine had said casually, but caused Charlotte to choke on her drink._

_After swallowing, Charlotte asked "What?"_

_Alaine collected her thought for a moment and said "Well, it seems to me that the only reason that they didn't accept you was because of two reasons: 1. You were dating one of the girls' exes. So, to me, I'm sensing a little Edward-Bella-Jacob thing going on. 2. All you did was just got something that practically tied you to your grandmother._

_So, as far as I see it, they think that you're the selfish one but they had the nerve to treat you as if you're some wannabe and they're the perfect princesses or something."_

_Charlotte shook her head. "I know that one of them is **extremely** hot-tempered. She'll probably burn you alive for that princess comment."_

_Alaine just shrugged her shoulders, mumbling "I call them as I see them," and continued onto a different subject. But something was on Charlotte's mind._

_"Alaine?"_

_"Hmm?"_

_"Did you seriously just compare my love life to Twilight?"_ **(2)**

Safe to say, though she's _still_ not over the Twilight comment, with their schedules mixed with choir and softball practice, it wasn't long until the two outcast girls were joint to the hip. For example:

By choir, Alaine felt that Char-Char, her new nickname for Charlotte and one that probably wouldn't last, had potential to make it in the show-business while Charlotte said that she could practically see Alaine on Broadway.

In softball, Charlotte had told Alaine that she would make a great coach on a major league softball team, much due to her helping Char every day with her pitches and throws. Alaine said to her that though she might lack a little edge to the sport, she could see her doing track.

So, to put it simply, the two have grown close and could easily rely on each other. The only problem was trust and the problem in that was Alaine's mom. But she had to put that aside for another day.

"Oh come on, _Al_ ," she heard Alaine growl at her new nickname through the phone, "if I didn't know any better, I saw you sing at the church you invited me and my mom to last week. And I must say, compared to you, I would lose my voice if I tried the high notes that you oh-so-well mastered effortlessly."

She could practically feel Alaine smirk at her comment.

" ** _Don't go Jell-O on my beautiful voice! I'm not the one who met some beach hottie and won't even tell her home-girl his_ _name_!**" Alaine said dramatically.

Ouch! A playful yet direct hit at once.

"All right! I won't tell you his last name, but his first name is Riley," Charlotte said with a dopey look forming on her face slightly. But before she could enter Lalaland, Alaine spoke.

" ** _Riley? That's it? I expected to hear more of an Eric or Brandon or something, but I think I know a Riley! Anyways you told me you had some big news?_** _"_

 _"_ Yeah, you see, the day I met Riley, I-" suddenly there was a screech on Alaine said in the background.

" ** _ALAINE MEREDITH WILLIAMS! WHO THE HELL ARE YOU TALKING TO ON THE PHONE? IT BETTER NOT BE THAT CHARLOTTE GIRL OR_ I'LL-**" Alaine's mom screamed. Alaine quickly said that they talk at school and hung up the phone.

Yep, Charlotte was sure that Alaine's mom had unresolved issues.

After doing her morning routine, she decided to put on a white blouse with no sleeves, a black skater skirt with a belt, blue sneakers, and added a coral flower necklace and shades for accessories. For some reason, she felt like dressing cute.

* * *

_**At Valencia High...** _

As Charlotte got off the bus, she spotted Alaine waving at her from the distance. Her hair was in a one-sided messy pigtail, but what she was wearing was a different story.

She had on a long sleeve shirt and her jeans were tight-fitting. Why would she wear long sleeves when it was 60 degrees?

Wait a minute?

Long sleeves...60 degrees weather...?

Alright, she had to push _that_ conclusion aside for now. When she got closer to Alaine, they both hugged each other and headed into the school.

"So tell me, what were you trying to tell me earlier?" Alaine asked. Though Charlotte partially wanted to ask her what went down between her and her mom, she decided against it and told her, in her version, about how she got her "job" at Paradise.

By end of her story, the two were in the school hallway and Alaine started to laugh her head off.

"Well, if I didn't know any better, I'd say that the only reason you even got that job was because of a certain lifeguard named... _Riley,"_ she teased, emphasizing his name.

It was, to be honest, to whole days since Charlotte agreed to undergo mermaid training with Laguna and to be honest again, she wasn't too thrilled about it.

According to the agreement between Charlotte and the immortal mermaid, every day after school, someone, most likely Phil, would take her to Paradise, where she would start working there as a waitress for the café. By the end of her shift, which was either before or after 7 pm, she would be taken to the Cove Residence, where she would start her training.

It was going to be difficult with softball practice and choir rehearsal, but now her schedule was officially closed. The only days off she had been her weekends, and those were the days she spent doing mermaid training 24/7.

"Alaine, are you serious? Riley's kind of cute, but I barely know him. Sure I'll be working close to him, but we're not dating," Charlotte explained.

But the African-American rolled her eyes and said, " _Su_ _re_...", meaning she'll believe it when she sees it, "but do you know what school he goes to at least?"

Charlotte shook her head. "To be honest, no. And besides, the last time I talked to someone I barely knew anything about him, I was nearly sexually assaulted and was running for my life! The only good thing I got out of that was when I got Thomas and took him in."

Alaine gasped. "Say what now?!" Her face expressed how shocked she was.

Charlotte cringed and mentally slapped herself upside the head. She forgot that no one knew what had happened that day. Not even her mom. All she told her was that she hitched a ride and went to the mall, and improvised that Thomas followed her home.

And now Alaine was going to give her hell when they got to lunch period.

"Should I be worried that Thomas didn't come with you today?" Alaine asked hesitantly, her eyes looking at Charlotte worriedly.

"You have nothing to worry about. This morning, he found out that he was going to the vet to get the shots that he needed. But from what I can tell you, he wasn't having it."

Then Charlotte started to laugh. "You should have been there. No matter how much I and my mom pulled and tugged on his leash, he sat on the ground, refusing to even move into the car. Then our neighbors came and practically threw him into the car and shut the door quickly," suddenly both girls were laughing as she continued to finish," by the time I got on the bus, Thomas looked at me like he was given the death sentence."

By the time the girls had stopped laughing, everyone was looking at them, but they ignored it.

"Alright girl, I gotta head to my locker before I have to make up some excuse on why I'm late for class. I'll see you at lunch and we **_will_** talk about _Riley,_ " Alaine said in a teasing tone as she trotted off. Charlotte was tempted to chase her but decided against it.

As she turned around to head to the locker, as Fate would have it, she bumped into some hooded guy and the books she was carrying went flying all over the floor.

"Sorry," Hooded Guy muttered as he bent down to help her pick up her stuff.

"It's okay. I just had rotten luck...and I wasn't looking. Are you okay...Riley?!" Charlotte said in surprise as she looked up to see it was Riley indeed.

He had on a faded long-sleeve hoodie that looked like he was trying to hide his face and dark jeans. The combination was not something anyone would wear in this sunny weather.

"Riley, you got here?" she asked as she gathered her books and the two got up. She got a better look at him and saw that he had a black eye. "Ry, what happened to your face?"

She reached out her hand to look at it, but he leaned away. So she brought her hand down and changed the topic.

"I mean, you work as a lifeguard in Paradise, but I didn't know you lived so far away," she said, trying to avoid looking at his eye. He smiled.

"Yeah, I work there during the week, but to get there on time, I have to leave early," he said, "but I can't believe that you go here too!"

"I didn't know you did either. But I did a little research before I enrolled in this school. For your amusement, can you name a celebrity who went here?" she asked.

"Yeah. A guy named Taylor Laughtner and some blond named Ashley Tissings or something," he said.

She chuckled and corrected him. "Nope. It's Taylor Lautner and Ashley Tisdale. I swear you would know Taylor because he plays Jacob in Twilight and Ashley from that old show about the twin living in a hotel."

Riley laughed. "Wow, you're a Twilight fan? Who knew you were a sucker for crappy love stories. HAH! I bet you're on Team Jacob!"

Now, he was just making fun of her. And if she wasn't trying to be a newly changed girl, one would only hope to pull her from him when she was through with him.

So, taking a deep breather, she said "So, just because I spent half a year around arrogant snobs who constantly fight over two guys who wear too much makeup and don't even exist, it means I'm into that stuff?!"

Riley stopped laughing and looked at her to see that she was serious.

"Charlotte, I-"

RRRRRRRRRRIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNNNGGGGG!

"Listen, this _**sucker** _has to get her stuff and head to class. I'll probably see you in Paradise," she said as she turned her heel and walked away from him.

For a second, she heard him say to himself "Great, you try to talk to the girl and you end up making a fool out of yourself. I'm an idiot."

 _Yeah, you are,_ she thought.

* * *

_**At lunch...** _

Charlotte would've been lying if she said that she wasn't happy to see Alaine.

Honestly, until today **(it's Monday in this chapter)** she had not only discovered that Riley went to her school, but he was pretty much in all her classes. She didn't want to think about it, but she was pretty sure that he was stalking her.

By lunchtime, she quickly got her food, sat down with Alaine at their usual table, and explained what had happened.

"Are you serious!? Riley Byrnes!? I should have known! Paradise Cove, Riley The Heir living out of the district..."

"Wait? Why did you just call him an "heir"?" Charlotte asked, "is the royalty or something?"

Alaine looked alert. Her eyes widened and looked around to see if anyone was watching them until she leaned in close to Charlotte.

"Trust, this might be my second year here, but let me tell you this: Gossip is as fast as texting."

Charlotte rolled her eyes at the comparison and continued to listen.

"You ask me if Riley's royalty, and honey, he is. He's the type of royalty you DON'T want to get mixed up in. You see, Riley's dad was into some seriously dark stuff over the years, if you know what I mean. He's been in jail so many times that the list is as long as my two arms.

At first, it was just small stuff like graffiti, robbing drug stores, and things like that. But then it seemed that he started joining gangs and," Alaine gulped, "raping and killing people. To be honest no one knows why he's still out of prison. Some say it was because he was buddies with the wardens but others say... it was because of Riley."

Charlotte did a double-take. "Are you serious?"

Alaine nodded. "It's gossip. It might be true, it might not be true. All I know is that people like to hear drama. Anyways, the word is that Riley was born from this rival gang member's girlfriend, possibly the leader's girl, and after Riley's dad had gotten drunk one night, he got completely wasted, saw Riley's mom, nobody knew her name, and Badda bing Badda boom, Riley was unwillingly conceived.

Turns out she was the leader's girl and he had feelings for her. And when she told him about the kid, he thought Riley was his and was happy about it. But unfortunately, he had to find out from an old friend who Riley's real dad is and went ballistic. He started abusing Riley's mom and stressing her out in the process. Since she wanted to keep her baby, the leader wanted her to miscarry."

"So his mom wasn't safe?" Charlotte asked.

"For a while, but it ended when Riley's dad and his gang sieged the rival's place. His mom had a very visible 4-month baby bump, scared to death, and was bruised up from the abuse when Riley's dad personally found her hiding in a closet. Long story short: After telling him her story and pleading for protection, in less than a week later, she became a bride.

Though she didn't want the marriage, she was glad her son got to live at all, and soon enough, she tried to reclaim her life, like studying to get her GED and stuff. And over time, Riley's dad developed feelings for her. But, like some stories, something tragic happened. When Riley was six, he was helping his mom making dinner when his dad came into the kitchen. Riley was told to leave, so he did, but instead of leaving completely, he entered a see-through closet as quietly as he could to listen in. Anyways, his dad finally told his mom about his true feelings about her. And, though I would've reacted the same way, she was shocked. After being forced to marry him for six years, he liked her back. But like I said, all she wanted to be was for her son to live and be taken care of. She told the old man as well as other reasons to turn him down. I heard the dialogue part and thought he would've taken it well.

Keyword: _**Th**_ _ **ought.**_

But he didn't. You see, he..." Alaine trailed as she started to squirm in fright, "to say in kid version: He slaughtered her. It was completely unexpected. At first, he looked calm, then out of nowhere, he grabs her by the neck, pushes her against the wall and starts to punch her repeatedly in the face. Then he lets her go and watches as she slides down the wall. Then, he starts to kick her from the head to the stomach and her face was NOT easy to look at. Then, he pulls her up from the ground and grabs a knife. She made direct eye contact through the closet and looked into Riley's eyes. He looked at her with tear-filled eyes as she mouthed " ** _I love you so_ _much_** ," to him as his dad stabbed her in the chest repeatedly."

Charlotte looked terrified as her friend continued.

"By the time it was over, the police had busted through the door and his dad was arrested. Another officer found Riley a few minutes later. It wasn't an easy thing for the cops to deal with, but could you blame them? A six-year-old saw his mother's murder and probably needed intense therapy to get over it. After the trial was over, it amazed everyone that the man ended up raising him. People figured he tried to fix his act and all, but gave up and became a drunk. The reason Riley is called 'The Heir' was because he probably has the potential to do things that surpassed his dad. But he formed a tough shell around himself and became as hard as a rock. He knows martial arts and hand-in-hand combat, so he's a badass. He completely works out, so he's fit. And he's known as a smart mouth...so he's a jerk."

 _And that doesn't sound like the Riley I met,_ Charlotte thought, _until now._

"So, around here, he keeps to himself a lot. But I'm warning you, stay away from Riley. He's bad news," Alaine concluded. She almost looked relieved to finish her tall tale. Guess it's better to hear a story instead of saying it with your mouth.

Like she was coming out of a trance, which was happening a lot lately, she regained her posture and shook her head.

 _What am I even thinking,_ she thought, _it's just a silly rumor_.

"I don't know, Alaine. When I met him, he seemed like a gentleman. Maybe his dad is the one with the bad rep and he's overshadowed by it," Charlotte suggested.

Alaine looked at her and shrugged. "Your right. Maybe it's just a rumor, but you never know. So just heed my warning, o.k?"

Charlotte nodded and started into another topic.

"Hey, what songs do you think Miss Analies will have us do for the showcase?" She asked.

Alaine's eyes sparkled with enthusiasm.

"Well, I was thinking she might do something like classical music, but people today are such a critic..." Alaine said.

After that, Charlotte stopped listening. As much as she did want to hear her friend's suggestions, along with her mind, her eyes wandered over to a table far away from the rest of the cafeteria and saw a hooded figure eating lunch. And for a second, she could have **_sworn_** he looked directly at her! Charlotte has a feeling in her gut that, like her misadventure in Australia, she had yet to uncover the mystery of Riley Byrnes.

"HEY!"

Charlotte jolted and looked at Alaine, who looked slightly pissed.

"How dare you distract me like that! In case you forgot, I told you that you had to tell me about your little 'assault' at the mall you told me about earlier," Alaine said with a 'Don't-you-dare-lie-to-me' look on her face.

Charlotte mentally whacked herself upside the head.

This could take a while.


	16. First Day on the Job!

**After school, 5:15 pm, Paradise Cove Cafe...**

WOOF!

WOOF!

"Alright, alright, you mangy mutt, I get it!" Phil said as he parked the bus into the Paradise Cafe parking lot and opened the door. Thomas barked at him before running off the bus with Charlotte following close behind him.

After a rather long day, especially with Alaine's continuous worrying over her, the day ended early for as it was time for Charlotte to head to Paradise. But right before Phil started to drive her to work, Annette came to drop off Thomas, who looked glad to see her.

"Thanks for the lift, Phil," Charlotte said to the bus driver, "and sorry if riding with Thomas was inconvenient. I didn't know my mom would drop him off like that."

"Wasn't your problem, to begin with. I just hate the dog." Then, Phil smiled and tipped his driver's hat at her. "Have a good day at work."

With that, he closes the bus doors and drove out of the café parking lot. Charlotte looked down at Thomas.

"Great, now I need to find you a babysitter," she said to him. He whined and pouted.

WOOF! WOOF! WOOF! WOOF! WOOF!

"Listen, I have to work and I can't trust you on your own. Much less, bother with animal control and... what the heck I'm talking to a dog!" Charlotte exclaimed.

WOOF!

"Quiet you!" she said as she gave him her infamous glare. Her dog gave her a lopsided grin with his tongue sticking out.

Charlotte was about to go and tie his leash around a pole like last time when she heard someone yell "Cool! I didn't know you had a dog, Char!"

She turned around and saw Brendan running towards them. He was wearing flip-flops, khaki shorts, and a tropical blue Hawaiian floral shirt. He quickly knelt and started to pet Thomas.

"Stop! Thomas is..." she started to warn him. But to her surprise, Thomas was leaning into his touch and was rather enjoying it.

"You little pussycat," she said under her breath. The dog turned and gave her a less scary dog version of the evil eye.

As Brendan petted him, he turned to Charlotte and said "Hey Char! My mom is waiting inside for you. But I should probably warn you, the place is crowded and loud today. So you might wanna be careful while you're in there. You'll find my mom in the office."

Charlotte nodded and said "Thanks Brendan and can you watch him for me? He has a little trouble staying put."

Brendan's smile grew across his face and said a little too quickly "Sure! Oh man, I always wanted a dog, but because of my stupid stepdad, I couldn't. Come on boy!"

He wrapped Thomas's leash around his hand and Charlotte watched the two run off to...somewhere on the beach.

Charlotte smiled and rolled her eyes and headed towards the café. But before she even got 5 ft away, the smell of food and music hit her hard.

Brendan was right.

The place was packed, even from the outside. Everyone was so crowded together that Charlotte had to squeeze in between everybody, and that was harder because the music was playing so loud that she, and probably everyone else around her, couldn't hear at all. And that was when she was outside. The tables on the patio were either filled or covered with dirty plates from old customers.

The inside of the café was worse. The music was up to MAX and Charlotte lost her complete ability to hear. Everyone seemed to be shouting something but she didn't know what. And it also didn't help that she ended up being squeezed in the crowd. And from what she's been able to see, a lot of tables were in a worse state than the ones outside.

By the time she managed to get behind the food counter and got into the, she hadn't realized that her hearing had returned.

"Welcome!"

Charlotte jumped and turned around and sighed in relief. It was Karen behind her. Her hair was in a bun and she was wearing a red maternity dress.

"Sorry to scare you! As you saw out there... we need your help. The other night, some teenagers opened this place up while I and my family were home for the night and they threw a big party and trashed the place.

Luckily, the police came and got everyone out. Unfortunately, today we had a huge special that had everyone out there here in the first place, and my family didn't even have time to clean up before everyone got here. The cleanup crew I called had engine trouble so my Mother and Jonathan went to go help them, leaving me and Brendan to deal with this.

So, instead of being a waitress like we planned, you don't mind busting tables do you?" Karen asked.

Charlotte nodded. "Sure, but first thing's first, we need to get all these people out of here and fast!"

"Alright, the beach can offer towels and stuff since nearly everyone came here with a bathing suit at least, but their also hungry," Karen said.

Charlotte thought on this until she smacked her forehead.

"Of course! How could I be such an idiot?!" Charlotte explained, "we need to get ice cream trucks! It's 60 degrees out there and everyone's going to get heated up! We need some ice cream trucks fast!"

Karen's face brightened up. "Charlotte, you're a genius! And I know someone who can get here quickly and they also owe me a favor! And as soon as that's done, we can clean up everything and wash the tables and..."

"Karen, um, sorry to burst your bubble, but for me to wash the tables, I need to touch a wet towel, and if I do, um..." Charlotte trailed off shyly. Thankfully, Karen caught on to what she was trying to say and laughed.

"Sorry about that. I was so caught up in this I forgot," Karen said as she went behind her desk and pulled out a bag of clothes and gave it to Charlotte, "and this is your uniform. There are some differences in it, but overall, you'll fit. Don't you worry, sweetie, we were prepared if that happened. I'll give you a few minutes to change so I can make a call."

And with that, she left.

Charlotte looked into the bag and pulled out her uniform. The tropical shirt was still the same but instead of a knee-length khaki skirt, there was a pair of khaki pants and a white apron. At the bottom of the bag was a pair of thick, white gloves. They were long and resembled real dish-washing gloves.

She looked at her clothes. They were all her size and the gloves looked nice and fitting. So, she took off her clothes and put on the uniform. She put her hair up in a pony-tail and went to look at herself in the mirror on the wall. It was big and wide enough for her to see her full reflection. But the moment she saw herself, she couldn't believe it.

She almost didn't recognize herself.

The girl in the mirror was tall, but not supermodel tall nor basketball player tall. She was naturally tall. Her arms were thin, but they had an athletic muscle in it. From her upper to the lower body, she wasn't thin like the girls, but she lost a few noticeable pounds. Her frame was thin, but she could see the muscles and whatever fat she had left around her waist and stomach. **(1)**

And her legs, despite being covered by her pants, they had thinned out and developed muscles as well. This girl's face was now more defined, beautiful even, with her slightly tan pink skin and brown hair **(NOT LIKE CLEO'S LOOKS).** This girl looked out-of-place in the uniform. It looked like she would rather be on the beach in a bikini.

Who was this girl?

It wasn't until Charlotte looked into the girl's eyes and found out.

It was her.

Her eyes were all that she recognized and though she found the redness in her hair, it was very, _very_ tainted.

She found it hard to believe that the girl in the mirror was her, but it wasn't impossible. During her "exile", she spent all her time eating healthy, drinking water, sinking until her throat hurt, on the field with Alaine practicing softball, walking Thomas, and between practicing her powers, she hadn't noticed that she was changing.

And she was glad.

She smiled at herself and, to her surprise, her smile was still the same.

KNOCK! KNOCK!

Charlotte turned to see Karen open the door with a microphone in her hand. She eyed her in the uniform.

"It's a little big on you, but you look nice. Listen, the ice cream should be here in a few, don't ask me how, and I need to you try to talk to the crowd out there. And don't ask where I got the microphone, but my family has special days. Are you ready to do this?" she asked as she handed Charlotte the microphone.

Charlotte took it. "As ready as ever." The two started to walk out of the room but Charlotte smiled at her reflection once more before leaving.

At the cash register, the crowd was getting angry. Charlotte turned down the music, climbed on top of the counter, and raised the mic to her mouth.

 **"Alright, alright, can I please have your undivided attention,"** she said. Everyone quieted down and looked at her.

 **"Listen, I know some of you are hungry and want to enjoy your day at the beach. But as you can see, we're not ready for you yet. One of the managers has a few ice cream trucks on the way here and though some of you may not want that, it gives us enough time to clean up and get this day started properly,"** and just as she finished that sentence, there was a chorus of music coming from outside the café.

Immediately, everyone in the building evacuated the building and went outside. Charlotte hopped off the counter and turned to see Karen staring at her with an awestruck look on her face.

"What?" Charlotte asked.

Karen shook her head and said, "Where were you when we were having dinner rush?"

Charlotte smiled and laughed. "Come on, let's give that cleanup crew a head start so we can get to business faster."

By 6:15 pm, Laguna and Jonathan had come with the cleanup crew and were surprised to see that most of the trash outside and the trash on the floor in the inside of the café was up and already in the trashcan.

"Karen, what happened here? It was a riot before we left," Laguna asked her as the crew finished cleaning up the rest of the trash. Karen didn't say a word but pointed to Charlotte, who was cleaning up tables and putting menus down.

"I don't know how to describe it, Mother. One moment, everyone was yelling and the moment she started talking, everyone calmed down and listened. Well, at least until the ice cream came. I'm telling you, she's something special," Karen said with a smile.

However, Laguna was not.

"Karen, as much as I'd like for stuff like that to come naturally to her, you have to remember, Marana gave her powers that can make her influence anybody. Remember that," Laguna told her and walked away.

* * *

Soon afterward, the café was running big time. As soon as Laguna announced to the beach that the café was officially ready for business, everyone practically stampeded in. The cooks were quick to make all the orders while Brendan, who was upset to be away from Thomas, helped Charlotte wait for the tables. Laguna was greeting people at the entrance. Karen was working at the cash register, and Jonathan was in the kitchen with the cooks.

"Man, can we hurry this up so I can go hang out with Thomas? He and I were in the middle of pulling a few pranks on some married couples," Brendan complained to Charlotte as he was cleaning up an empty table.

Charlotte laughed. "But you had an hour and a half with him. Don't you think that's enough time with him?"

"No! It's because of Jonathan that I don't even have one! He got attacked by one when he was little and has had a vendetta against them ever since!"

"Well, you should talk to him about it. Maybe you two just misunderstand each other," Charlotte suggested.

"Oh please, he'll give me a huge lecture about caring for others and not myself and he practically kisses my mom's butt and worships the ground she walks on. I mean, I know she's pregnant with my little sister, but she's not disabled," he sulked.

Charlotte looked at him as she got out her pen and a small notebook.

"You know, it's okay to be jealous about not having your mom's undivided attention anymore," she said.

Brendan looked at her with wide eyes and started to stutter.

"W-w-w-wh-what a-are y-you... I-I-I...I'm not jealous!" he exclaimed. And with that, he ran off.

Charlotte shook her head at him. He was jealous.

Charlotte was looking at her notebook as she walked up to a table where a bunch of teenagers was sitting and said: "Welcome to Paradise Cove Café, what can I get you all?"

"Well, actually, I'll have a...YOU!" one of the teenagers said. Charlotte looked up and her face paled.

It was Jason and his gang.

Charlotte started to walk away but was pulled back by a hand, roughly. She turned to see it was Jason's.

"Well, so this is where you work," he said, eyeing her up and down, "nice outfit you got there. Though... I wonder what you look like under it."

Alright, now she had to getaway.

She started to pry herself away from him but he wouldn't budge.

"Did you know your little dog had left me scar for life? Now there's no way I'll ever get laid again!" he said as he gritted his teeth.

"Listen, I am so sorry-YELP!" Charlotte cried. His hand was starting to leave a bruise on her arm.

Then, just as he started talking again, out of nowhere, Jonathan ripped Jason's hand off of her and threw him to the floor.

"I suggest you leave now if you know what's good for you... and your friends too," he said stiffly as he glared down at him.

There was easily a glance of fear on Jason's face. He looked at his crew, who were probably thinking the same, got up and ran out of the café altogether.

Charlotte just stared at him as Jonathan passed her. Shaking out of her gaze, she reached her hand out to him and said "Um, thanks for helping me there. I had no idea-"

He looked at her with a cold glare and she put her hand down. "Let me make this clear: I didn't do that for you. I did that because it would have been only a matter of minutes until you remembered what you could do and expose my family. To be honest, I could care less about you being harassed by some boy you led on."

And with that, he walked away, leaving Charlotte confused, and angry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. Alright, though I'm gonna get some either good or bad reviews for this, I had to say this. My mom(who has 3 degrees, so she knows what she's talking about) told me that big-boned people - such as Charlotte - couldn't lose those muscles. However, you can lose the fat in your skin, so you can look skinny.
> 
> So, as I was trying to work out in this chapter, Charlotte still has her big muscles, but she lost the fat in them, so she appears skinny, but not as skinny as the girls (COUGH Cleo COUGH Emma COUGH Rikki COUGH Bella)! I added the tan-skin part because, well, she's in California, one of the sunniest places on Earth! How could she not get a tan?!


	17. Not-so-first-day of Mermaid School

**7:00 pm, on the way to Cove/Mermaidian residence…**

**Charlotte's POV**

Thomas and I rode with Brendan, Laguna, and Karen in their SUV to their place. Or, in a clarified way, Laguna was driving with Karen in the passenger seat, Brendan and I were sitting in the back seats, and Thomas, with his idiotic grinning self, was in the trunk.

Jonathan decided to stay back at the café and hitch a ride back later, which was completely fine with me. I wasn't feeling too good at being in the same car as him. And, to my surprise, I didn't see Riley.

I was beat-tired during the ride, but overall, I had a great day. After the 'incident', the rest of the day went smoothly…if you could call being flirted at by dozens of boys normal. Luckily, this time Laguna was the one to always managed to ward them off.

And Karen was right about the gloves: They worked like a charm! For every time I touched the soapy dish towel to wipe the tables, the gloves absorbed the water, but it wouldn't change me, much to my relief.

The drive was silent until Karen started talking.

"So, Charlotte...how was your first day of work?" she asked.

I sighed and smiled at her. "Well, aside from boys trying to flirt with me and your oh-so- _lovingly_ husband being stoic, I had a pretty good day. And it didn't help that your son refused to give me back my dog."

Brendan laughed and Karen smiled at my sarcasm. Laguna just nodded and continued to look out her window.

"Well, you just...I think you had a normal day, or as normal as it can get for your case. Speaking of that, who were those boys that I saw harassing you earlier?" Karen asked.

I stiffened. I saw Laguna look at me and took notice. I had a feeling that she would want to talk to me about this later.

"Not good friends of yours, are they?" Laguna asked.

I nodded. "Yeah, they're not the best people to...know. I just hope that I never see them again."

I must've said it stiffly, because, judging by the look Laguna was giving me, she probably decided to talk to me about this when I was ready.

After that, the ride went silent. The only thing that was making a sound was the radio. Who knew that Laguna was Kelly Clarkson fan?

Then, there was a turn and suddenly I noticed the van starting to enter a dark tunnel. I leaned forward from her seat and asked Laguna "Is that tunnel supposed to be there?"

She turned her head and grinned at me and gave me a mischievous smile. "You'll see."

The van drove into the tunnel, everything turned black. And I will admit, I started to panic.

"What's going on? Where are we? Where are we going? It should be impossible to see!? Where are we?" I exclaimed. I was starting to breathe heavily and started to blink my eyes fast.

No one, not even my mom knows this, but I had developed a...well it's not a fear of the dark, but I start to feel the inability to do anything in the dark as my worst nightmare. So, even the smallest lights, like the lights coming off my alarm clock and the light posts from the outside of my windows at night, gives me the best comfort.

"Don't worry, where we're going, you're going to love it!" Brendan said enthusiastically.

The van increased speed and before I knew it, we were out of the tunnel. And judging from the view of my window, we were driving up some large hill that gave me a breathtaking sight of the entire beach and... wait a minute!?

Was that Coney Island Ferris Wheel that I was seeing on the far right?

I leaned forward in my seat again and asked Karen "Where are we?"

She smiled and said "Look ahead. We're home!"

I looked up and gasp. At the top of the hill was a beautiful circular house that was two-stories and made up of see-through glass. There was an outside deck and by the house, I noticed that there was a big ditch in the ground.

As we pulled in front of the house, Brendan jumped out of the car, with Thomas not so far behind him, and yelled: "WELCOME TO OUR CRIB!"

* * *

**3rd POV**

As everyone got out, Charlotte turned around and took in the scene in front of her. Oh, what she would give to have out her sketchbook and start drawing.

Not too far down the hill, trees were surrounding the perimeter in a perfect 360 degrees. This just made the scenery look more beautiful and gave her the peacefulness that she was going to need.

"Come on Charlotte! The faster you get the tour of our place, the faster you get to see our...' _special'_ place," Brendan said, earning a smack upside the head by Laguna, who muttered:

"Don't say that! You'll make it sound like we're crazy people!"

Charlotte turned around and headed into the house, and once again, she was amazed.

The interior was simple yet elegant. The ceilings were white as well as the carpet, the chairs in the living room, along with the everything else was grand. There was a small area by the windows with wooden flooring and there was a stereo. So she assumed that it was a little dance area. Then, she got a tour of the kitchen, which had granite counters and small china dishes. The chairs in the dining room were made of oak along with the short table. And in the heart of the house was a cylinder-like fireplace with a glass container over it.

Charlotte asked about the design and it turns out that the house used to be a water tower, which Brendan found pretty hilarious. After the tower stopped working, a young man decided to turn the old tower into a house. Then, after the reconstruction, he met Laguna and became friends. But he died later from cancer. But on his will, it stated that the house belonged to Laguna. So, after years of remodeling, the house ended up the way it was today.

Gorgeous.

"Alright, so now you've seen the house. Are you ready to see our _"special"_ place?" Karen asked, raising her eyebrow. Her mother groaned at the term.

Charlotte nodded. What else could this household?

Laguna went to the fireplace and held out her hand and immediately, Charlotte recognized what she was doing. She was starting to set the wood on the fire.

Laguna slowly curled her hand up into a fist and the wood quickly set ablaze. Then, she turned to Karen.

"Would you like to do the honors?"

Karen smiled and nodded. "Indeed."

She repeated the same thing as her mother and the fire continued to grow until it was at the top of the glass cylinder. Then, Charlotte let out a gasp when the fiery red flames turned blue, and then... it went down as if nothing happened.

"What was that?" she whispered to Brendan. He smiled at her.

"Wait for it."

Charlotte watched the fireplace and let out another gasp. The fireplace started to sink into the floor while the cylinder started to rise into the ceiling. Then, the entire thing was gone and the granite wall moved apart, leaving where was once a beautiful fireplace wan now a dark entrance.

"Haha, and Grandma wanted to put a bookshelf there instead," Charlotte heard Brendan whisper to his mom and her.

Laguna turned her head to them, gestured her hand to the entrance, and said, "Well, who's first?"

* * *

After descending the stairs, Charlotte followed the family trio through what seemed to be a cave with light purple and blue colors. At first, she could have sworn that under the hill was a bunch of dirt. But she remembered that Laguna had this place for a while. It probably took years to build for it to be the way it was.

Then, they stopped at another entrance. Karen looked at Charlotte and asked, "Are you ready to meet our version of a moon pool?"

Charlotte didn't have time to answer as they all went in and once again, her jaw hung from her mouth.

THE CAVE WAS HUGE! No, it might have been bigger than the moon pool on Mako Island.

The cave looked to be made of limestone and the ceiling had to be at least 100 ft high and the lights were from cool colors to neon lights. The pool, which looked probably deeper than 5 ft., was the same color as the one in Mako and small lanterns were surrounding the pool. And in the back was a waterfall!

She looked to the side and saw a little family sitting area with a big coffee table 3 couches and a big TV, and how Laguna managed to do that she didn't know, and there were at least 5 shelves of books on the wall.

"Wow," Charlotte said.

Laguna nodded. "Indeed. Just to point out: This place is more of a cave-like indoor swimming pool than a moon pool. Though only my family knows of this place, even we still get awestruck as well sometimes."

And Charlotte agreed. Then she turned to her. " Um...may I..." then she looked towards the pool. She couldn't help it. The pool was practically screaming for her to jump in. Laguna knew what she was asking for and laughed.

"Of course, but we need to..." Laguna didn't get to finish her sentence.

Charlotte made a mad dash towards the pool and, like an Olympic diver, jumped headfirst into the pool.

SPLASH!

It took a few minutes before she surfaced in all her pride and glory. Her top was shimmering and her wet hair was curved to the side of her neck. For the moment, Charlotte felt more relaxed as she's ever been in weeks. But Laguna saw something in her eyes. Something that was all too familiar to any mermaid.

Freedom.

"Well, now that you've made yourself at home, Mother and I need to find out what your powers are," Karen said as she sat down in an armchair by the pool. She wasn't even phased when the first thing that the girl did was jump into the pool. Her mother made sure it had that effect when the cave was built and the pool was installed.

Charlotte gave her a surprised look. "Oh, I already know what my powers are," she said, "watch."

She turned her head towards the middle of the pool and raised her hand in a claw-like gesture. Instantly, a stream of water started to rise and, due to Charlotte's active imagination, the water formed into an octopus.

"I can manipulate water."

Then, she held up her hand in a 'stop' gesture, and the octopus froze solid into place.

"I can freeze it."

Then she slowly balled up her hand and the octopus melted back into the pool. She turned her head back to the two women.

"And I can also heat it, but the strange thing is that I have another power, or powers if you think about it. Watch," Charlotte said.

This power was a bit difficult since these particular powers required nearly the same hand gesture as manipulating water. But she was able to find the difference. She turned back to the pool and raised her hand again and did a similar hand gesture to the first-hand gesture, only her fingers were more open than the clawed gesture, and twisted her wrist. **(1)**

Instantly, the entire pool ended up turning into deep-blue jelly. Then, a few seconds later, the jelly turned back into the water.

Charlotte heard a gasp from behind. She turned around and saw Laguna looking at her with a saddened look on her face. Karen also noticed the look and covered for her.

"Excuse my mother, it's just that she hadn't seen that power for centuries," she said to Charlotte. She nodded hesitantly, concerned about Laguna, and said,

"This power allows me to turn water into jelly and the next one is sort of my favorite."

She raised her left hand out at the water, causing it to rise again and formed a bubble. Then, she turned her hand sideways, turning the bubble into a medium-sized turtle. Next, using her right hand, she opened it and twisted her wrist, giving the turtle a jelly type form. Lastly, using her right hand again, she turned her hand into a fist and made a pinching gesture in the air. **(2)**

The turtle solidified and fell into the water. Charlotte dove into the pool to retrieve it. A few minutes later, she resurfaced and gave the turtle figurine to Laguna, who now looked like she was going to cry.

Laguna put on a pair of gloves, similar to the ones Charlotte used at work, and took the figurine out of her hand to look at it.

Without choking on her sobs, she said "I know those powers. It comes from the sea caves in Ireland. But, for you to have gotten this power, you had to have been in that particular moon pool. So either you managed to travel to Ireland overnight, or the moon pool that changed you was truly unique."

Laguna started to look at the turtle as if it had significant value and hugged it in her chest. Charlotte turned to Karen and gave her a _'you-need-to-tell-me-what's-going-on_ ' look.

Then, something occurred to Karen.

"Mother," she said, " is it possible that... well, I don't know how to word this."

Laguna sniffed one last time and wiped the tears before they came from her eyes. "Karen, what are you trying to say, dear?" she asked.

"Well, is it possible that the reason that Charlotte even has those powers is that...is because she was in an artificial moon pool?" Karen suggested.

Call it common sense or call it something else, but Charlotte quickly ducked under the water and closed her eyes.

...

CRASH!

Charlotte resurfaced and saw that the turtle she created was shattered into bits all over the floor and Laguna's hands were slightly bleeding. Her face went from the saddened expression she wore a few minutes ago to pure anger.

"Mother!" Karen exclaimed.

Laguna turned her head and commanded "Karen! At the moment, I am unable to teach Charlotte the basics and I'm leaving you the responsibility to teach her! And if she has any questions, you are going to answer them! Now, if you excuse me, I have to make a VERY important call!"

Laguna angrily exited the pool room and entered the cave. After a few minutes, there was a loud vibration, signaling that Laguna was inside the house.

"Oh, mother..." Karen sighed.

Charlotte looked at her. "What was she so upset about?"

Karen leaned forward out of her chair and looked at her. "Sweetie, let me ask you this: Do you believe that people should know about the moon pools?"

"No. Well, in my case, I guess it depends if that person can handle the responsibility of such a huge secret. But in general, no one can know without making it turn into some money-making scheme," Charlotte explained.

Karen smiled at her answer. No doubt that her personal experience would have her thinking like that, but any person that came across a moon pool knew that it held a value that had yet to be understood.

"Good answer, but it's more than that. You should know, once you're a mermaid, your one for life. Truly, once your swimming 600m/ph and diving at impossible depths, there's a sense of freedom that anyone can fall in love with. And your right, the moon pools are not on this world for profit. I'm sure my mother gave you a briefing on that merpeople are a separate species, but you must know, moon pools are the birthplace for merpeople."

Charlotte was not amused. "Yeah, I know. On a full moon, any human who jumps into the moon pool turns into a mermaid and gets powers."

"No, that's technically the process for land-transformed mermaids. I meant natural-born mermaids, as in mermaids that were born in moon pools," Karen said, "though I know you've been in plenty of...sex-ed classes since mermen have gone extinct, mermaids have adapted to new ways of reproducing. For example, mermaids lay eggs in the pool, and in some cases, the moon pool gives tails to the eggs that hatch or tropical fish that live by lay their eggs there as well. You're going to have to ask my mother about this later."

Charlotte noticed that she looked a little...flustered about the topic. It didn't sound embarrassing to her.

 _I guess mermaid health class is as embarrassing as a human health class,_ she thought. But something occurred to her.

Why did Laguna rush out like that anyway?

"Hey Karen, what's an artificial moon pool?" she asked.

She watched as Karen froze up at the question. Was it that bad?

"Uh, Karen? Yoo-hoo? Are you there?" Charlotte asked, waving her hand in front of her face, trying to snape the woman out of her trance.

After a few minutes, Karen snapped out of it and gave the teen mermaid an apologetic look.

"Sorry, I... didn't expect you to remember that," she said sheepishly, "and to answer your question: You can think of it as a synthetic moon pool. It's not impossible, just extremely rare."

"What? To build or to make it work as a regular moon pool?"

"Both. It's extremely rare to make one because the site has to be precise, must be near the ocean or a river, must have a close and full view of the moon, and you'd need a lot of moonstones. But the big problem is that the site should be old, like an old volcano, and you pretty much can't find moonstones anywhere else except the moon pools itself. And taking them is a messy business since it requires drilling into the stone to get them and the results would be that the moon pool all together ends up deactivated. It would be there for a show, but it would never again work as it did before.

Or, as Brendan would say, in kid-speak: The moon pool is broken beyond prepare.

So, creating one is out of the question. And for it to work is another story. I guess you can say that even if you successfully managed to build a moon pool, the next step would be for it to work. The whole piece of the puzzle depends on the full moon. If it works, you can say that the picture of the puzzle would be finding out what powers you gained. And that is the rarest of it all," Karen concluded.

Suddenly, Charlotte had a good idea of why Laguna left.

"So, what you're saying is that the moon pool that changed me was an artificial one? As in Marana," Karen flinched at the name slightly, "spent her free time over the years creating a moon pool to change me and gathered moonstones from different moon pools so that I'd have more powers than before?"

It surprised Karen that she caught on so quickly. She rose out of her chair and carefully sat on the edge of the pull, next to Charlotte, in criss-cross position.

"Sweetie, you have to understand this. My mother vowed on her entire life to make sure Marana didn't find you. And if you haven't noticed, our little friend under the sea managed to outsmart her and found you anyways. She watched you since the day you were born to the day you received your tail and your powers, how you abused them, and all till the day you lost them all. My mother can't keep up with her because she can't see her next move.

Mentally, she sees a girl who can easily be played like a puppet and a human weapon. But in her heart, she can see the mermaid who was like a sister to her. Believe me, she does care about you, but she has a lot on her plate."

She watched as Charlotte laid her head on the ground. She doubts what she wanted in life. Maybe at one point, she thought she could handle this but now was a different story.

"You know what?" Charlotte asked.

"Hmm?"

"I never wanted to be a said, "I mean, before I left Australia, I promised someone that I would never go near a moon pool for the rest of my life. I never meant to break that promise, but what can I do now? All I ever wanted out of life was to live a normal life. I want to have friends to hang out with, go out and date guys I like, and I can't even do that now.

Karen, your husband was right about me. I'm selfish, arrogant, and stupid to think I can handle something that only a few people can cherish. I should have never come to Paradise that day."

She felt a tear fall down her cheek.

This just couldn't be happening to her. It seemed that just when the supernatural was done with her, it pulls her back in and places her in a situation worse than the last. Suddenly, she felt Karen's smooth hand place her head on her lap.

"Karen, you can't touch me! I'm still wet-" she was cut off by Karen.

"I know what you're about to say," Karen said calmly, "and don't worry. When I'm this far along in this pregnancy, my tail goes away. Think of it like my maternity leave from being a mermaid."

Then, she looked at Charlotte's tail and started to comb her fingers through Charlotte's hair. "Listen to me. Don't listen to my husband or to anything that he says about you. He won't understand the struggles that my family goes through, no matter how long he's been with us. He doesn't understand that as merpeople, we don't have the luxuries that normal people do, which is why I married him.

He grew up at a young age to provide for his family. But as Fate would have it, he was soon all alone. He came from a background where he was supposed to be cold and strict. And because of that, and because I love him, that's why I married him and let him in on the secret. Plus, you think my unborn child wasn't made out of love? **(3)**

Charlotte, as much as you don't think it, you have no idea how lucky you are. You know, natural-born mermaids aren't too fond of land transformed mermaids. And if they knew, you are the poster child for why they're so against them. But you beat the odds. Out of all land-transformed mermaids in this world, how many went as far as you did and got a second chance? Easy, none. You beat that odd and to me, that's an amazing feat. But like I told my mother, your still young and have a lot to live for and who knows? Maybe you'll find someone to share your gift with after all.

Now, how about you show me how you made that figurine and make more of them?"

Charlotte looked up at Karen's smiling face. "I should have known that you'd be the one to give ma advice like that. However, I-"

Her vision blurs and all fades to black...

* * *

_Darkness...that's all Charlotte could see. There wasn't any source of light anywhere around her._

_Suddenly, it feels as if she's spinning around and the darkness turns into light and the next thing she knew, she was underwater._

_She looked down and saw that she was in her mermaid form._

_She started to swim around and found herself near a coral reef. It wasn't as beautiful as the one in Australia, but it was pretty close._

_As she swam along, she acknowledged how beautiful the corals and sea anemones were. They ranged from blue to yellow, o orange to green and...wait! What was that?_

_At the edge of the reef was an unusually, big oyster. It was grey, but it was about the size of her hand._

_As soon as she went in and grabbed it, she felt something move behind her._

_She spun around to see what it was, but nothing was there._

_So, instead, she turned her attention back to the oyster. She tried to pry it open, but it seemed as if it was glued shut._

_Suddenly, it felt like the temperature dropped and Charlotte heard something big moving behind her._

_She spun around again, trying to see what it was. But there was nothing._

_"Who's there?" she asked. Then, she covered her mouth. How could she be talking underwater?_

_Then, she remembered her talk with Laguna on the pier. Could she be having one of the visions she was telling her about?_

_She looked around and saw a murky shadow moving towards her...and it was HUGE!_

_Soon, she saw silver scales on the objects back and spikes all over its body._

**_But little did Charlotte know..._ **

_That voice? Marana's! Why was she hearing her?_

_Suddenly, the shadow started to swim towards her at full speed, moving its body side to side like a snake. Finally, she got a good look at what it was._

_And it was horrifying._

**_She shouldn't have touched the water..._ **

_The creature's head was the same as a cottonmouth snake, only more monstrous and it's fangs widely exposed at her. Its body was of a serpent, but you could see the claws on its webbed feet wiggling at her. Its tail was covered in thorns. Then, its eyes opened and two beady-red eyes stared down at her hungrily._

_Charlotte screamed in terror as the creäture opened its mouth and swam at her._

_She curled herself into a ball and held the oyster close to her chest._

_She heard a shrill before everything fades to black..._

* * *

"AAAAAAAAHHH!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright guys, what did you all think of this chapter? (STILL AIMING FOR OVER 100 REVIEWS!) Did you like what you learned? And what's up with the SUPER SCARY vision Charlotte had and what did it mean?
> 
> For 1. & 2.) Alright, after searching the web, I couldn't find the precise way to describe Bella's hand gestures, so I came up with them as closely as I could. Tell me what you think.
> 
> 3.) Now we know something about Jonathan. Is there more to him then we've been told?


	18. Attack of the Water Snake Pt 1

_**9:00 pm, Charlotte's house...** _

By 9 pm, Laguna and Karen had decided to drop Charlotte and Thomas off at her place. As the van pulled into Charlotte's driveway, Charlotte said "Thanks for the lift. This afternoon was... interesting."

Now that was an understatement. This afternoon, she was supposed to start training, but all she got was possible answers to how she was changed, which she gradually accepted, and a vision that will most likely give her nightmares the second she closed her eyes tonight.

**Flashback _..._**

_"AAAAAAAAHHH!" Charlotte screamed as she fell backward into the water and started to splash around like she was drowning and trying to find land. She kept going under and kept gasping for a breath that she rarely needed since she was in mermaid form._

_"CHARLOTTE! CHARLOTTE! MOTHER!" she heard a woman yell, "HELP! Something's wrong with Charlotte!"_

_She continued to splash in the water helplessly, as her life depended on it until she heard an older, feminine voice shout "Brendan, go help her!"_

_She heard two big splashes and the next thing she knew, she felt someone hold her and stop her from splashing around. Charlotte heard a young boy's voice say "Charlotte, calm down! Nothing and no one is going to hurt you. Just take deep breaths and slowly open your eyes."_

_Charlotte did as she was told and took a few breaths, which was hard because she was shaking from the vision. Then, she opened her eyes and was surprised by Brendan and Thomas beside her. But what truly got her was, instead of the clothes he was wearing earlier, his chest was bare and where his legs should have been, was a long, sea-blue tail._

_"Your...your... you're a merboy?" Charlotte asked with a stutter. He just gave her a cheeky smile as he led her back to the edge of the pool._

_"I swear, I'm in the other part of the cave, playing with the dog, and you start screaming your lungs off. I can't catch a break even once," he muttered. Then, Laguna came and knelt beside her as Thomas got out of the pool and sat beside Brendan._

_"Charlotte, are you ok? What happened? And why are you shaking?" Karen got up and asked her._

_Laguna looked at her daughter. "What do you think, Karen? She had a vision! And by the looks of it, it scared the daylights out of her!"_

_Then, she looked back at Charlotte, who was still shaking. "I want you to tell me **exactly** what you saw."_

_Despite the fear that she was feeling, Charlotte recounted the events that she saw, to the darkness to her near-death of the snake. Then, Karen's eyes went to Charlotte's chest._

_"Is that the oyster?" she asked. Charlotte looked down and saw that she still had the oyster from the reef._

_"B-but how was that possible? It was just a vision! There was no way this thing was real... wasn't it?" Charlotte asked. Karen took the oyster from her and examined it._

_"Sweetie, if there's one thing you should know about Mother's visions, or should I say **YOUR** visions, it is that no matter **what** you think, some things are closer than you realize," Karen said, her eyes still on the oyster._

_" Or, in kid speak: Gram's had a somewhat nasty habit of seeing the future and taking an item from it. Nothing of importance, or so we think, but just a small item of proof to say that she was there," Brendan said cheekily, earning a playful glare from his mother._

_"Yeah, what he said, but that doesn't explain the monster you saw in your vision," Karen said, "but by the looks of it, just leave this shell in a bucket full of cold water, sand and salt, and in a few days, you'll be the owner of a new, fresh pearl."_

_Karen gave the oyster back to Charlotte and continued "I think you're in a special predicament now. You see, my mother has this scale that goes from 1 to 10 that she uses-or rather-_ **used** _to see what type of visions she had. If it was a level 1, then the vision is usually seen is a blurry shot or a level 2, a TV show on a television screen. Now a level 10...well, you just had one. That particular level usually acts as a messenger and usually means that danger is coming. It's so life-like that it sometimes means that you were actually there._

_Now, this leads me to my next hunch. If I'm right about the artificial moon pool, then maybe I'm right about my next theory."_

_Laguna groaned. "Karen, as much as I love you, your 'hunches' are going to be the death of me."_

_Karen chuckled lightly and looked at Charlotte. 'Sweetie, if you don't mind me asking this: Aside from the first powers, did those girls from Australia show any other kind of powers?"_

_Charlotte shook her head. "No. Though if you're talking about the weather powers, then yes."_

_Karen didn't say anything and gave Laguna a look. And from what Charlotte could see, Laguna's facial expression was a mix of amusement and satisfaction. It was like the two were sharing an inside joke._

_What did they know that she didn't?_

**Flashback ends...**

However, Charlotte did get some lesson on mermaid history later (Laguna was rather happy to explain the reproduction of natural-born mermaids) when Karen tried to take her mind off the vision.

"No problem dear. Besides, this might be a regular thing soon enough," Karen," but I suggest that you better go in with Thomas before your mother decides to think that you were kidnapped."

"How do you know that?" Charlotte asked.

Karen pointed to a window that was near the living room and Charlotte leaned into the front seat to see her mother's shadow was peering through the blinds before she moved away. Charlotte rolled her eyes.

"I swear, as soon as I had gotten out of the hospital a month ago, she's been watching me like a hawk," she said.

Karen and Laguna gave her a concerned look. She was in the hospital?

Karen shook her head and said "Charlotte, she's your mother, as in, you came out of her womb. She's supposed to worry over you. I should know. I worry over Brendan all the time. And as much as he hates it, he knows that I only do it because I love him. I'm sure your mother just trying to watch out for you."

Charlotte sighed and nodded. "Maybe your right, but I just wish things could be different between her and I. We used to be so close and honest with each other, and now all I do is lie to her, and I've done that for the past year or two! I just wish that things were different and maybe...maybe I could tell her everything one day like we use to. Listen, I've got to go. See you tomorrow."

Charlotte opened the car door and hopped out with Thomas not far behind her. After she closed the door, she waved goodbye to the two women and headed towards her house.

Once she got in, she went into the living room to greet her mother-who tried to play off that she wasn't just watching her daughter through the window-was sitting on the couch, watching TV.

"Hey mom," she said.

Annette turned around and smiled at her. "Hey sweetie, how was your first day of work?"

Charlotte shrugged. "It was good. I took a few orders, got familiar with the staff, and for some unknown reason, all the teenage guys who came during lunch seemed to be flirting with me."

Annette laughed. "Well, that doesn't surprise me. You've always been a beautiful girl, but since that Lewis boy broke up with you and your time in Atlanta, you haven't been so sure anymore. But lately, you've changed...for the better. I mean, look at you. You're helpful around the house, doing all these activities at school, you have friends, you have a job, and though I never saw you as a dog lover, I must say...I am so proud to call you my Little Girl."

Annette got up and went to hug her daughter. As she embraced her, Charlotte couldn't help but cry on the inside.

* * *

A few minutes afterward, Charlotte went upstairs to her bathroom to take a bath. After drawing the bathwater, Charlotte didn't even bother taking off her clothes and just jumped into the tub with her clothes on.

And 20 seconds later, her tail emerged.

While Charlotte was washing, she couldn't help but think about the exchange she had with her mom downstairs.

What was she supposed to do? Annette trusted her and all her only daughter seems to do is lie to her. In fact, there's never been a day when she couldn't lie to her mom more easily!

Alright, the first time she was a mermaid, she knew she couldn't tell her mother so soon, but then she lost her tail, and then, she lost the reason to tell her. Now she has it back-and in a new color, she must add- and she's back to the lies. But she knew this was going to be happening often. She thought about how her mother said that she's changed.

Mentally, she had matured more and has begun to act more grown-up since last year. Physically, she had never seen herself as beautiful. Sure she thought she was pretty, but not beautiful. Then, when she spent the rest of her Junior year in Atlanta, the girls there made her feel so bad that she wasn't even good enough to look at. Now, teenage guys are flirting with her like nothing before.

Personally, she wondered how the girls did it with their parents. But now, it's plain and simple to her: Their parents would have wanted them to be normal. But they all liked being different.

But Charlotte's case was entirely different. She didn't want to be a mermaid. Once she moved to California, all she wanted to do was start over and start fresh. Re-invent herself. She had no intention of repeating her past or anything like that. And now, she had to live with this tail again!

What am I going to do? Charlotte thought. She kept thinking about her current 'situation' in such deep thought that she didn't hear someone knocking on the bathroom door until she heard the twisting of the knob.

"Charlotte?" her mother asked through the door.

Charlotte sat right up and panic. Instantly, she held her hand over the bathwater and it immediately started to boil and evaporate.

"Charlotte, are you OK in there?" her mother asked.

Charlotte started to panic and decided to stall. "I'm OK, mom. My feet were just aching."

Yeah, if she had them at the moment.

"Charlotte can you please open the door?"

Charlotte looked down at the tub and realized it was half empty. So she brought up her other hand and the water was evaporating more.

"Alright, in a second," Charlotte said. Suddenly, she felt her lower half burning and looked down to see that the water in the tub was gone and she was back in her clothes.

She quickly jumped out of the tub, removed her clothes, and put on a robe, mess with her hair and made it damp and quickly went and unlocked the door. She opened it and gave her mom a fake smile.

"Hey, mom, what's up?" Charlotte asked casually, or as casual as she could.

Annette gave her a look and asked "Charlotte, why did you lock the door? It's not like I haven't seen you naked before."

Charlotte blushed at that comment. If only she knew that she wasn't _truly_ exposed when she takes a bath.

"Sorry, I wanted some alone time. So, what did you need?"

"Oh, nothing really. I just got a message from someone with a deep voice earlier today. I think it might've been a prank call but he said he needed you to Skype with him when you got home. Should I be worried?" her mom gave her a concerned look.

Charlotte her head."No, maybe it's someone I know. Did you get a name?"

"No, he hanged up before I could ask," her mom said, "and are sure you're OK?"

"Yeah, is there anything else you need," Charlotte asked, a little hurriedly.

Her mom shook her head and was about to leave the bedroom until she turned around.

"Charlotte?"

"Hmm?"

"You're not doing drugs, are you?" she asked.

"MOM!"

"Alright, alright. Good night," her mom said as she left the room. After Charlotte heard the 'CLICK' on her door, she came out of the bathroom and fell backward onto her bed. Then, she grabbed a pillow and covered it over her face as she groaned outwardly.

Drugs?! Really?! She knew she would have given off some sort of vibe, but was it really _that_ kind of vibe?

Suddenly, she remembered the message that her mother relayed to her. She jumped up, made a grab for her computer, put it on her lap and opened it, and made a beeline to Skype.

Unfortunately, no one was online. However, she had a video message and it was, from her own guess, Lewis. It had been a while since they last talked and she planned on telling him how training went and maybe, he could help figure out what that monster from the vision was.

She clicked on the message and Lewis's filled the screen.

_( Italicized for Lewis)_

_"Charlotte, if you're getting this, then you have finally got back to me, but not in time for us to talk._

_Listen, I've done some research for any moon occurrences around 1010 C.E., and I found a few connections. You see, the night Ane'lie - your very first life - created the storm, she had created a **very** powerful blue moon that lasted for about a decade, at least. This blue _ _moon was created due to the vows she and Laguna made, altering the effects that bring us here today."_

Then, he brought out a thick-looking notebook and flipped through the pages and read,

" _Every few years, the anniversary of the moon appears on different days. You would think it was that it would stay on the same day, but like any outside events or games, they can be pushed back for another day. So, with that, I also found out the connections between the moon, you, and ...every other natural disaster that cost the lives of hundreds of people," Lewis said, looking rather disturbed._

Charlotte, however, looked like she was going to be sick. What had happened between her and the anniversaries?

_"I didn't want to tell you, but I just did. Since the anniversary could happen any day, it just so happened that after a while of trying to find one of the days the anniversary occurred, I landed in the Dustbowl Days. I went through some American history records and found out that just a few matters of months before dust storms started, the causes of the storm - which you know as to how the dirt turned into sand - a Mexican girl who came with her families to the Americas was just about our age, or maybe younger, came to the plains to help get money from farming. However, the first few days after she came, the effects of the drought started to set in and I found out this:_

_The anniversary of the storm/ blue moon happened the night before the first dust storm. Then the next day, the girl went missing after the storm hit and was never to be seen again. Her name was Carmenta Hortense and I believe that she was one of your past lives who sadly got controlled by Marana and lost her life while starting the beginning of the dust storms."_

Charlotte covered her mouth with her hands and started to cry. She knew the Dust Bowl took many lives over the years but did she really cause them? Alright, to anyone else, it wouldn't matter because it wasn't her, but those past lives live up to her. They showed how far she came over the years. If one of her past self could do that much damage, then what else was Charlotte capable of?

Charlotte felt her tears fall onto her hand and in a quick motion, she paused the message and ran to lock her bedroom door. She waited 20 seconds to see if she was going to fall on the floor in her mermaid form, but nothing happened.

 _ **I'm going to have to ask Laguna about that the next time I see her,**_ Charlotte thought.

Sighing in relief, she walked back to her bed and continued the message.

_"Charlotte, if Laguna is going to be your mentor, then she might try to keep secrets from you. And not that I blame her, but you and I, of all people, know that lies can only lead to hurt. I honestly don't think that what happened in whatever past life you had defines you, but that's only if you let it. Now, I've got to go. It's late and I think you should be asleep._

_Sleep tight Charlotte," Lewis said._

The message ended and Charlotte closed her laptop and put it away.

How Lewis can be so forgiving sometimes, she would never know. But it was nice to know that he would still help her despite everything that happened between them. Really, she hurt the guy's friends and girlfriend and he talks to her as if nothing happened!

He truly was one of a kind.

But in the meantime, she respected the fact that Laguna wasn't quite ready to tell her everything yet. After all, she was her mentor. She had to trust her in order for everything to work. But she still felt uncomfortable about everything.

Suddenly, she felt something bang against her door and a loud whining sound from behind.

WOOF! WOOF!

Knowing this was Thomas, Charlotte jumped from her bed and unlocked her door. Her dog trotted in, giving her a " _you're-an-idiot_ " look before he went and jumped on her bed. She followed him and got into bed herself after she turned the ceiling light off.

'Well, I think we've both had enough excitement for one night, do you think?" she asked Thomas.

He let out a whine and she noticed that his eyelids were starting to drop.

"I'll take that as a yes," she muttered, "goodnight."

She turned off the light from her lamp and pulled the bedcovers over her as she started to sleep.

...

"AAAAAAAAAHHHHH!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, what do you think of Charlotte and her feelings?
> 
> By the way, I have something to say. On August 17, 2015, I had received my 83rd review on Fanfiction.net, and...let me show you what it said.
> 
> "shit hater chapter 1. Aug 17
> 
> This story is shit! Charlotte was a terrible character and a total bitch, anyone who behaves like that deserves to be hated! NOBODY likes charlotte other than you so quit trying to impose your stupid ideas and notions on everyone! Poorly written, unsubstantiated piece of crap! #giveitup #loser."
> 
> Though I deleted this comment, I have to say... I was NOT discouraged. So listen up; I DON'T CARE if you think Charlotte is the scum of the Earth or not, but NO ONE is allowed to post such negativity on my story whatsoever, and for those who do I must say this.
> 
> You have no heart nor care to tell when someone is actually TRYING to make people see that not everyone is completely the villain and that they ACTUALLY have feelings too. I will not stand for this intolerance!


	19. Attack of the Water Snake Pt 2

_**Previously...** _

_Karen gave the oyster back to Charlotte and continued "I think you're in a special predicament now. You see, my mother has this scale that goes from 1 to 10 that she uses-or rather-used to see what type of visions she had. If it was a level 1, then the vision is usually seen is a blurry shot or a level 2, a TV show on a television screen. Now a level 10...well, you just had one. That particular level usually acts as a messenger and usually means that danger is coming. It's so life-like that it sometimes means that you were actually there.' "_

_**...** _

_"Hey mom," she said._

_Annette turned around and smiled at her. "Hey sweetie, how was your first day of work?"_

_Charlotte shrugged. "It was good. I took a few orders, got familiar with the staff, and for some unknown reason, all the teenage guys who came during lunch seemed to be flirting with me."_

_Annette laughed. "Well, that doesn't surprise me. You've always been a beautiful girl, but since that Lewis boy broke up with you and your time in Atlanta, you haven't been so sure anymore. But lately, you've changed...for the better. I mean, look at you. You're helpful around the house, doing all these activities at school, you have friends, you have a job, and though I never saw you as a dog lover, I must say...I am proud to call you my little girl."_

_**...** _

_"I didn't want to tell you, but I just did. Since the anniversary could happen any day, it just so happened that after a while of trying to find one of the days the anniversary occurred, I landed in the Dustbowl Days. I went through some American history records and found out that just a few matters of months before dust storms started, the causes of the storm - which you know as to how the dirt turned into sand - a Mexican girl who came with her families to the Americas was just about our age, or maybe younger, came to the plains to help get money from farming. However, the first few days after she came, the effects of the drought started to set in and I found out this:_

_The anniversary of the storm/ blue moon happened the night before the first dust storm. Then the next day, the girl went missing after the storm hit and was never to be seen again. Her name was Carmenta Hortense and I believe that she was one of your past lives who sadly got controlled by Marana and lost her life while starting the beginning of the dust storms."_

**...**

_"AAAAAAAAAHHHHH!"_

* * *

**Outside of Charlotte's house...**

Karen and Laguna didn't really leave after they dropped off Charlotte. Instead, they just swapped cars and sat outside her house.

"Mother, do we really have to do this? What if somebody sees us or something happens? Do you want us to appear as stalkers?!" Karen exclaimed.

"Yes, we do. After Charlotte had that vision, I couldn't just drop her off and be done with it! That vision **_had_** to be a warning and I even went through my own memories and still can't find the creäture that Charlotte saw.

Plus, while I'm sitting here, I need to think of the next lesson I plan to teach her tomorrow anyways. After all, how could Charlotte or any of those girls not know about the other ones yet? I mean, for Charlotte, it still would have been possible for her to inherited invisibility, but the fact that **none** of them know makes me surprisingly happy," Laguna said.

And Karen couldn't agree more. Though most land-transformed mermaids don't know this, they have more powers than just the ones that the moon pools gave them.

**_Flashback..._ **

_(Karen's POV)_

_After getting over the big shock that Charlotte had receive_ _d a level 10 vision, I had known to how powerful she was - mermaid wise, I must say._

_I gave the oyster back to Charlotte and continued "I think you're in a special predicament now. You see, my mother has this scale that goes from 1 to 10 that she uses-or rather-used to see what type of visions she had. If it was a level 1, then the vision is usually seen is a blurry shot or a level 2, a TV show on a television screen. Now a level 10...well, you just had one. That particular level usually acts as a messenger and usually means that danger is coming. It's so life-like that it sometimes means that you were actually there._

_Now, this leads me to my next hunch. If I'm right about the artificial moon pool, then maybe I'm right about my next theory."_

_I heard my mother groan behind me."Karen, as much as I love you, your 'hunches' are going to be the death of me."_

_I rolled my eyes and laughed. Until this afternoon, she wasn't having the greatest day. I chuckled a bit at the thought and looked at Charlotte._

_"Sweetie, if you don't mind me asking this, but aside from the initial powers, did any of those girls from Australia show any other particular powers?" I asked her hesitantly._

_From what Mother told me, Charlotte's past is such a touchy subject. And I could understand if she didn't want to talk about it. I mean, to tell people who you were once evil- no, I can't call her that- mean and then nice isn't the best way to gain someone's trust, but honesty has to start somewhere._

_But Charlotte didn't look phased at all. She shook her head and said "No. Though if you're talking about the weather powers, then yes."_

_Now, this surprised me. Even for a year old land-transformed mermaid, some of the powers from a natural-born mermaid should have settled in by now. But if those girls haven't figured them out yet, then that means that Charlotte is one step ahead of them._

_I looked into my mother's eyes and saw that she was thinking the same thing. And judging by her facial expressions, she was a happy camper knowing this. And then I looked at Charlotte, who was confused as ever._

_Looks like mermaid training is going to be fun._

_(POV ends)_

**_Flashback ends..._ **

Must have felt good for Charlotte to finally tell someone about the things she did, but Karen knew that there was someone she really wanted to tell her secrets to.

_"Maybe your right, but I just wish things could be different between her and I. We used to be so close and honest with each other, and now all I do is lie to her, and I've done that for the past year or two! I just wish that things were different and maybe...maybe I could tell her everything one day like we use to..."_

Karen heard the sorrow in Charlotte's voice when she said that and it really bugged her.

"Mother, would it be possible if... if Charlotte was able to tell her mother the truth?" she asked Laguna. The tone of Charlotte's voice rang in her head and it continued to sadden her.

A mother is supposed to be the one you're supposed to have a special bond with, the one you can tell anything to and always be by your side. And the idea of not telling your own mother the truth and constantly telling lies to her had to hurt, especially if the truth was as big as Charlotte's.

Laguna shook her head. "I know what you're thinking Karen and the answer is no. Trust me, if I had it my way, she could have told her on the spot, or at least let her know that she lives in a world where everything is not what it seems to be. Either way, Charlotte can't allow anyone close to her, or else she's going to give Marana new puppets to play with. It's just safer for both."

Karen looked at her mother. "For them or for you?"

"Karen, I-"

"No, listen to me. You agreed to train Charlotte and teach her how to defend herself against Marana, but did you agree to her personal feelings? No, and it was obvious that she's sad. She doesn't show it because she wants to be strong, but she is terrified and so sad. Hell, did you even ask her about how she felt about being a mermaid? Because I can tell that she's against it, but she's working through it.

No one needs to tell lies anymore. Sooner or later, there will be a day when Charlotte will want to find out all the things about her past, things you didn't tell her, and when that happens, she won't be able to trust you as she does now," Karen said to her mother.

Laguna looked at her and knew she was right. Things happened in the past that can greatly affect Charlotte's progress as, not only a mermaid but as a human being. And she knew that one day, the girl will want to know her past, or rather her past lives and then she'll ask questions. And she knows Charlotte will. Curiosity has killed her more than she knows.

"Karen, it's not like I'm afraid **of** her. I'm afraid **for** her. In this life, she's seen and been through so much that it would be overwhelming if I told her about her past," Laguna reasoned.

"So, it's better to hurt her than to tell her the truth? Believe me, Mother, I know the truth can hurt, but it's better to know than to not know at all. She's not Ane'lie, Mother. She may be one of her many lives, but she's not her," Karen concluded.

"I know, but there are times when she acts so much like her at times, you wouldn't believe it," Laguna said, "However, I-"

She was interrupted by a high-pitched scream and a loud, anomalistic roar...and it came from Charlotte's house.

"AAAAAAAAAHHHHH!"

* * *

**A few minutes earlier, in Charlotte's bedroom...**

After Charlotte turned off the lights and went to bed, something murky was happening in the bathroom.

...

Thomas opened his eyes and perked his ears up in alarm. Something wasn't right.

...

At the bottom of the bathtub, a large stream of murky water started to rise from the drain. It grew and expanded into until it was as huge as the bathtub and as wide as the door. Then, it started to take shape.

...

Thomas quietly jumped off of the bed and walked around the room, carefully listening for any sudden movements.

...

The water started to turn into thick, rough, scaly skin; its skin turned to form a one of a snake, long and slithery; its head was of a cottonmouth snake, black and with fangs that are full of venom; it grew a long, narrow horn on its forehead and its eyes were glowing yellow...

with a hint of red.

...

Thomas found himself staring at Charlotte's bathroom door. something was definitely wrong.

...

The creäture assumed a complete form and watched as another stream of murky water came up from the drain. It trailed beside the creäture and covered the doorknob that led to Charlotte's room. It started to add pressure and finally, the knob turned.

...

Thomas watched as the knob turned and got ready to bark. He had a bad feeling about this.

...

After hearing a 'click' sound from the knob, the water pulled the door send a little before going back down the drain again. The creäture used it's nose the open the door.

...

Thomas nearly bit on his growl when he saw what was behind the door. It looked like a snake, only mega-sized to open a door. He took notice to the horn on its forehead and when he saw the eyes, he knew it was a monster that came into Charlotte's room many long nights ago. Only it was bigger, menacing, and this time...real.

GRRRRRRR...

...

The creäture recognized the dog from before and had to get rid of it before he gave it away. It bared its fangs at the dog only to receive a deep grow from him.

 _"Thomas,_ go to bed. You just ate," said a low, feminine voice.

...

Thomas quickly turned to his sleeping owner. Charlotte must have heard him growling and started to wake up. He knew she would be a goner if she even woke up at all.

So, he stopped growling until he heard her start to snooze off again. And as soon as he heard the snores, he turned his head back to the creäture.

...

The creäture started to come out of the bathroom. It had to work fast or else the master would be angry at it. It knew that the mutt didn't want it nor the target to see each other. And it had an idea.

...

Thomas watched as the creäture slithered out of the bathroom and move towards Charlotte's sleeping form. He gave the creäture a low growl, but it looked at him in an almost a...mocking matter.

First, it tilted its head against Charlotte's body and gave her a gentle nudge. All she did was turn her body.

If Thomas could sigh in relief, he would.

Next, it came to the side she turned to and pushed. This time, her reaction was raising her hand and pushed its snout to the side lightly. The creäture gave him a look...almost a mocking look.

It thought Charlotte was playing with it, like a child playing with their food.

It kept nudging her and pushing her that she was close to waking up and he had to do something about it.

Suddenly, he noticed the end of the creature's tail and had an idea of his own.

...

The target was right in front of it. She was asleep and in peaceful form. It had to end her before it was too late.

Then, Charlotte turned her body up, with her face going upwards towards the creäture. The creäture opened it's mouth and got ready to strike...

But then came the most unbearable, agonizing pain came from the end of its tail and the creature's eyes widened with anger as he saw what was causing it.

The dog was biting on its tail.

...

Thomas made sure he had a firm grip on the tail. He wanted to be sure that if someone was going to die at the mercy of this creäture, it was going to be him.

And by the looks of it, that just might happen.

...

With a fit of unreadable anger, the creäture rose away from Charlotte and tackled the dog head-on, practically sending both of them through the door, breaking off the hinges off.

But the moment the crash happened, the unfortunate event happened.

Charlotte's eyes popped wide open.

* * *

**Charlotte's POV**

You know, there are many reasons why someone would wake up in the middle of the night. And one of them, for instance, are nightmares.

So, when I woke up, I originally planned to just get up and kick Thomas out of my room. But when I saw that my bedroom door was broken off and my dog was at the mercy of the monster from my visions, I did the most logical yet illogical thing to do.

I screamed.

"AAAAAAAAAHHHHH!"

The monster looked up from Thomas and glared at me. In some way, it was still the same monster from before but only without the spikes and talons. I was willing to conclude that this version of the monster was when it was in its defensive form.

The monster let out a roar that could have rivaled a T-rex and charged right at me!

I quickly fell to the side of the bed and crawled under my bed. I heard a "BANG" and realized that it must have missed me and hit the wall.

There was another roar and suddenly, the bed was lifted above my head and I barely dodged the horn on the monster's forehead. I rolled away and my bed came crashing down to the floor. I got up and made a run for my door... or what was left of it.

Suddenly, I felt something pull me down and the moment I fell, I felt something move past me and hit the wall. I looked up and saw 3 spikes embedded in the wall.

I realized that if I had kept running, those spikes would have been in me. I looked back and saw the tip of the horn on the monster's forehead grow back.

The thing shot freaking retractable spikes from its horn!

I entered the hallway and was really thankful to hear Thomas right next to me. I started running as fast as I could and I could hear the monster chasing after us, its body constantly hitting the walls from side to side.

But I wasn't looking and if it wasn't for Thomas, I would have fallen down the stairs. I looked down the stairs and then looked behind me to see the monster charging at me with an intent to kill.

Then, I saw the handlebars by the stairs and realized that I had two options: face my death by a serpent or slide down the railing and most likely break my arm?

Obviously, I chose the one where I would get to live.

I hopped onto the railing and started to slide down while Thomas took the stairs. I had only a few seconds to admit that this was kind of fun, but the moment I ducked my head to avoid razor-sharp fangs from biting me, I knew I was in trouble.

I jumped off when I was halfway to the ground and landed on my two feet. I ran for the front door and started to turn the knob, but it was locked. I tried twisting and turning the lock but it was jammed.

"Come on! Come on!" I said as I tried to open the door.

Then, I felt something sharp swiftly scratch my back, and soon came an unbearable pain. I put my hand back and felt something wet. I pulled my hand back and even in the dimmest light, I could see the blood on my hand.

The bloody thing scratched me!

I slowly turned around and saw the monster glaring at me with hungry eyes. I almost looked down and saw that the monster was growing legs and sharp talons. Now it was beginning to look like the monster from my vision.

It didn't attack me, but I had a feeling that it thought it had me. My back was hurting so bad and I tried my best not to feel defenseless. I put my hands behind my back ad tried to think.

I wasn't going to die tonight, but there's no way I can get past something so big. Unless...

What the heck, I have powers! I might have not wanted to be a mermaid again, but at least I can use what was useful!

While looking at the monster in the eye, I slowly opened my hands towards the doorknob. And I don't know how, but I could tell it was frozen.

Then, with one push of my hands, I heard a big 'CLANG!', signaling my departure.

"Bye, bye..." I said as I turned around and, as hard as I could, kicked the door open. I ran out of the house and heard a big roar, and it was telling me to get help or I was done for.

Officially.

* * *

**3rd POV**

Charlotte ran across the lawn and ran down the street as fast as she could. She didn't have to turn around to see the monster gaining on her, but almost like life support, she was thankful to hear that Thomas made it out unharmed.

WOOF!

WOOF!

Charlotte turned to her side and saw her dog running alongside her, barking his head off.

WOOF!

WOOF!

WOOF!

WOOF!

She saw what seemed to be a phone booth not far ahead and was determined to get to it.

BANG!

Charlotte almost fell as the monster was practically running beside them, forcing her and Thomas to get off the street and onto the neighbors' lawns.

The monster was no longer a serpent. It was now running on legs and spikes were coming from all over its body.

This was definitely the monster from her visions.

She and the dog kept running and running, jumping over gnomes and flowers. The monster _had_ to have some type of plan figured out.

It wasn't helping that Charlotte was bleeding and in intense pain or Thomas's effortless barking. But some supernatural force must have hated her for what was about to happen next.

One of her neighbor's sprinklers came on.

Oh god, the disadvantage of being a mermaid...20 seconds of physical contact with water before she sprouted a tail.

Charlotte tried to go the other way, or at least find some exit that would help keep her from going into her mermaid form while she was on the brink of death, but the monster started shooting spikes at her to keep her from entering someone's backyard and from entering the streets.

Which means that she had only one thing to do.

Charlotte heard her heart beating fast and her feet pounding into the ground as the water hit her head-on.

_20..._

The monster roared almost in anticipation.

_19..._

_18..._

_17..._

_16..._

_15..._

_14..._

_13..._

_12..._

_11..._

_10..._

_9..._

_8..._

_7..._

_6..._

_5..._

_4..._

_3..._

_2..._

_1..._

"NO!" Charlotte yelled as she slipped and fell onto the wet grass. She saw the bubbles and water encase her until it was gone and left her in her mermaid form.

The water was falling down on her like rain and Thomas knelt beside her as he tried to get her to hold onto his collar so that he could manage to pull her away. But the pain in her back increased ten times more and she couldn't move.

Whatever was in that monster's talons was something that could practically kill her in mermaid form.

Suddenly, she felt her eyes about to drop and knew that she was about to meet her end.

She watched as the monster started to change as it came running up to her. Its skin change from scaly, lizard-like skin to murky water. The talons dissolved into heaps of boiling water. Its eyes were no longer yellow but now a full-scale red.

Wait? The monster was made out of water?

Charlotte had quietly concluded that the monster must have risen from her bathtub drain and formed in her bathroom. But if it was in its true form now...

Using the last ounce of her energy, she raised her hand as the monster zeroed in on her.

She felt her eyes drop one last time at the site of the monster before she heard a shriek and someone yells...

" _ **CHARLOTTE!**_ "


	20. Choices and New Powers

_**Two days later: September 15th, Tuesday...** _

"Girl, are you okay? You missed school yesterday and today, you look like you've been attacked by something," Alaine said as she took note of Charlotte massaging her back and taking two painkillers. Their choir practice let out early and the two friends were sitting on the front steps of the school while everyone left.

Alaine was worried for her friend. She didn't come to school the other day and today, she looked like she was on the verge of passing out.

And Charlotte honestly didn't want to explain. She spent the entire day yesterday with Laguna, trying to heal the scar - or should she say, _**scars -** _that the Water Snake had left on her back.

**_Flashback..._ **

_Charlotte woke up with a bad headache. She tried to sit up, but the moment she did, a soaring wave of pain hit her and she yelped in, she felt two cold hands press down on her back and start rubbing it._

_"Take it easy Charlotte. You've had one hell of a night," she heard Laguna's voice say to her from behind. She tried to stretch out her arms and was surprised to feel the water around her. She looked around and saw that she was her belly in her mermaid form, and in some pool._

_She felt the hands press down on her back again and immediately cried in pain._

_"Shh, I'm sorry about that. Honestly, that monster practically scarred you, and it doesn't help that you nearly died freezing it. Do you remember what happened?" Laguna said._

_Charlotte raked her head to remember the past events and finally, she remembered what happened._

_She almost died._

_"Yeah," she said hoarsely. It was barely audible, but it felt painful to talk. Her back was stinging like crazy and she was worried if she was still bleeding._

_As if she read her mind, Laguna said "Your bleeding stopped, and just in time though. I was worried that we were too late."_

_Charlotte turned her head slightly to get a better look at where she was._

_She was in Laguna's pool._

_Apparently, she was laying on, what seemed to be, one of the 3 stools that laid underwater near the edge of the pool...the same place where she was talking to Karen and had the vision._

_Laguna was sitting on her knees by the edge in a blue dress._

_"What...happened...after..." Charlotte's voice was sore and couldn't even finish the sentence._

_Laguna seemed to know what she was asking about._

_"I will admit, Karen and I did sit outside your house last night. And forgive us for that, but after hearing that vision yours, it just didn't sit with me to just leave you alone like that. Even if Thomas and your mother were home._

_And thank god, I was right. Both of us had a front-row seat to the entire thing. I saw you and the dog run out of that house with that creäture on your tail (no pun intended)._ _W_ _e would have gotten to you sooner but the car wasn't acting right for some reason. I nearly had a heart attack when I saw the blood running down your back. And now it leaves 3 nasty scars there," Laguna said with sourly._

_"S..scars..?"_

_"Yes. The monster was chasing after you on 4 legs and on each of them were three, long claws. And we arrived just in time to witness you freezing the creäture. Ha! Water mimicry! Marana was a dirty one for pulling a trick like that. She nearly had you killed!_

_Karen used her powers to turn off the sprinklers. God, you had her worried. She screamed when she saw you passed out. And when I flipped you over, I saw the claw marks doing something to your skin and I knew you were poisoned._

_You were bleeding so much... I practically had to use a moon ring to heal you, or at least stop the bleeding. But now, you're in recovery," Laguna concluded._

_Charlotte wanted to know more about the poison and the monster that Marana set after her. Marana wouldn't kill her sister's reincarnation without a reason._

_She moved her right hand and made a "continue" gesture. Laguna saw this and sighed._

_"The poison was a mix of snake poison and a type of dangerous coral. And in my opinion, it's more dangerous than a rainbow coral. But that's a lesson for another day._

_Anyways, this particular coral can drain the powers of any mermaid. So, as Brendan would say, in kid speak: Snake poison that can kill people and corals that can take away your powers are a toxic mix. I found a scale from the monster in Thomas's mouth. As it turns out, he bit the thing._

_Oh, don't worry. He's fine. In fact, he's sleeping in Brendan's bedroom at the moment. We had to take him with us because he refused to leave your side and you needed to get here as fast as we could._

_Anyways, the scale showed that the snake's form originated from a poisonous desert snake and it had rough skin, so it was no use trying to burn it. Luckily, Jonathan got the antidote and gave it to Karen, who mixed it in with a potion to cure the coral part of the poison. After it was done, I poured it onto the scars and you started to heal. Though you did have a mini seizure the moment the potion made contact with your skin."_

_"Mar...ana..." Charlotte croaked._

_'Yes," Laguna sneered, rubbing Charlotte's back a little too hard, "she created that monstrosity. What in the seas was she thinking?! There_ _'s no possible way she wanted you dead, otherwise, she would be ruining her own plans. Hell! If that mermaid, if I can even call her that, had any LOVE for her sister, then she wouldn't have gone that far!"_

_Now, Charlotte's back was hurting from Laguna's aggressive message._

_DING!_

_Charlotte heard a timer go off beside her._

_"Time to pour some more of the potion on. Don't worry, it'll only sting a little," Laguna said._

_Charlotte felt her mentor's hands press off her back and then she heard a metallic 'CLAG!'. Then, she felt something warm fall on her hissed when she felt a sting on her back._

_It wasn't as bad as before, but it still hurt. However, the pain soon met with a calming effect and she felt okay._

_"Your very lucky to still be alive, Charlotte. It even surprised me that your mother is still alive as well," Laguna said she pressed her hands back on Charlotte's back._

_Hearing this, Charlotte sat up immediately...only to hiss in pain when she stretched her scars. Laguna quickly pushed her back down._

_"Sorry, wrong thing to say! Your mother IS okay. I had Jonathan go to your house earlier with a toolbox in hand to fix any damages made during the attack. When he was working on your bedroom door, he noticed that your mother didn't wake up from the noise he was making. He went to her door and felt some type of invisible veil over the door. Karen went over there t_ _o see what it was earlier._

_She found out that the veil must have been put over her door to stop her from hearing the attack, or to say, keep her asleep during the whole thing. Thankfully, Karen removed it. Marana possibly planned to have you killed and not be discovered until later," Laguna explained._

_Charlotte sighed with relief. Both of her loved ones were safe. She didn't think she could handle it if someone died. And she was thankful that her mother was asleep. Her mother would have had a heart attack if she saw the monster._

_Which reminded her: she needed to give it a name. Monster and creäture just can't do._

_Suddenly, Charlotte felt her eyes begin to drop. Either she was falling asleep from the potion or Laguna's massage, she didn't know. But she had to make one thing clear._

_"W-water...s-snake..."_

_She felt Laguna's eyes o her._

_"What did you say, dear?" she asked._

_"C-call...t-the...monster...a...Water...Snake..." Charlotte said before she drifted off to sleep._

**_Flashback ends..._ **

Charlotte spent the day doing some swim therapy in the pool and then tried doing therapy in her human form. She had called her mom and told her a small lie (which was nothing new nowadays) that she had left the house early to do some softball practice and would be staying at a friend's house for the night.

Laguna had given her the OK to go back to school the next day, but only if she took 2 painkillers to ease the pain in her back when it hurts. She had also given her a note that excused her from her next, _real_ softball practice and someone would pick her up from school and take her to Paradise.

Brendan was happy when Laguna told Charlotte to leave Thomas with them for the day.

"Alaine, I'm fine. My back just hurts. That's all," she said.

Alaine scoffed. "Char, you've taken at least 10 pills today. Are you sure you're alright? Do you need to see a doctor?"

Charlotte shook her knew her friend was worried, but as long as she didn't see nor know about the scars, she was okay.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Don't worry, I'll be back to normal by tomorrow."

Suddenly, Alaine stood up straighter and looked at her with an excited look on her face.

"Hey, what are you doing this weekend? Got any plans?" she asked excitedly. Oh boy, she wanted something. That was truly the only time she ever got excited.

"I probably have to work or something that day," Charlotte said, only to be met with a pout on Alaine's face. Alright, she was lying about work because she would be actually training with Laguna. But Alaine didn't know that.

"Come on, I know you just started that job, but can't you say you won't be able to come in and spend the day with me and a few girls from the choir and the softball team. We'll be volunteering at a greenhouse and then we're all going to this beach called Pirate's Cove. It's a bike ride down after this reservation near the beach.

Please, pretty please, come with us! It will be so much fun! Missing one day of work wouldn't hurt! Please?" she asked with Puppy Dog Eyes'.

Unfortunately for her, Charlotte learned to resist the Puppy Dog Eyes' after spending so much time with Thomas. However, she didn't want to disappoint her because, in a way, she was her only friend and she didn't know what Alaine was like outside of school.

"Alright...I'll try to get out of it. But I can't make any promises," Charlotte said. Alaine squealed in delight and wrapped her arms tightly around Charlotte.

"Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!" Alaine squealed, "I promise you won't regret this!"

The hug would have been nice if she wasn't squeezing on her scars but Charlotte bared through it until she let go.

"Alright _Al_ ," Alaine glowered at the nickname," I have a ride coming to pick me up. Who's taking you home?"

Alaine smiled and pointed to a green bike that was sitting leaning against a tree.

"I'm a 'go green' type of person. I have nothing against cars, but I prefer something simple and safe sometimes, besides the bus," Alaine said. Charlotte's eyes widened.

She's friends with a nature freak. Cool.

BEEP! BEEP!

WOOF!

The two girls looked up and saw Karen Cove waving a hand outside of her van and Thomas's head sticking out of the window.

"Well, gotta go." Charlotte hugged her friend and waved goodbye one last time before she got into the van and drove off.

* * *

**Halfway down to Paradise Cove...**

The car ride was silent. The radio was playing and Charlotte had her head against the window while Karen was driving.

 _Could I really miss a day of training to spend a day with Alaine?_ Charlotte thought, _I mean, it couldn't hurt, but I could be missing something valuable that day._ _  
_

She sighed and Karen turned to her.

"What's got you so down?" she asked.

Wanting to avoid the topic of her possibly skipping mermaid training, Charlotte answered with a question.

"When I cry, how come I don't turn into a mermaid?"

Karen looked at her and laughed.

"Really? I thought you would have figured _**that**_ out by now, especially with all the tears you've seemed to shed but to answer your question: Tears are self-made. Tears, sweat, blood, saliva, and anything that comes from your body won't change you or else no mermaid would be safe on land. And I can say the same thing for using the bathroom."

Charlotte smiled at that.

"Alright, so tell me what's really bothering you," she asked again. Karen practically saw right through Charlotte's attempt.

The teen mermaid groaned. "Okay, so my friend, Alaine, invited me to hang out with her and a few girls from school this weekend. Thing is, I have training that day and I can't miss anything!"

"Oh, and the fact that it just so happens to be a full moon on the same night also makes that tricky, if it's an overnight thing," Karen said, "do you want to go?"

Charlotte nodded slightly. "I would honestly like to, but they plan on going to a greenhouse and then to the beach later on."

"So, you want to hang out with your friends but you're going to two water-related places. I see the problem, but you want to have a social experience, don't you?" Karen asked.

Charlotte sighed. "You'd think that after being in choir and the softball team I'd have enough of that. But I've never done anything outside of school besides going to work and training. In fact, before your family came along, my only friend was Thomas. I just guess that some free time with real, **_normal_ **people might be nice."

Karen laughed.

"I guess you're right about that. It seems nice to spend time with people who don't have to share the same worries as you do, but it's also nice to spend time with people who do. But in the end, it's all the same. We have lives, we have worries, we have insecurities, and we have lives. But just because your something else- and I use that term lightly- doesn't mean you're different from everyone else. In the end, it makes you one and the same."

Charlotte smiled at that. "Thanks for the advice. I'll be sure to remember that."

 _And I'll write that in my journal to make sure that I do,_ Charlotte thought.

* * *

**At Paradise Cove...**

When they finally got to the café, Charlotte went to the café staff's locker room to change into her uniform while Brendan practically stole Thomas for the remainder of the day.

Once again, Charlotte looked at herself in the mirror and felt different. Maybe it was the scars on her back-which would not be seen by anyone because of her shirt- that was making self-conscious...or was the change that her mother was talking about from the previous night finally settling in on her.

Leaving the locker room, she put on her "Happy Face" and began work.

When she got to a table, she pulled out her pen and notepad and said "Hello there and welcome to the Paradise Cove Cafe. What would you like to order?"

But, apparently, she should have looked at who she was serving.

"Thanks and I would like a date with a beautiful waitress named Charlotte. Is that on the menu?" a rather familiar voice asked.

Charlotte's eyes widened as she looked up from her notepad and saw Riley sitting in front of her, smirking at her. He was in his casual lifeguard uniform and his black eye was gone.

Still mad at him for the "twilight" comment, she gave him a fake smile and said, "I'm sorry, we don't serve that nor do we serve to arrogant lifeguards."

With that, she walked away and went to serve a family at the next table.

But Riley seemed to have other ideas. He got up and started to walk beside her.

"Listen, I'm really, really, _really_ sorry about what I said before! It was-"

"Rude, stereotypical, insulting! And then saying that I'm on some kind of team was pushing it!" Charlotte exclaimed as she turned to him. She walked away from him and started taking orders from a family at the next table.

But Riley said "Excuse us," to the family before grabbing Charlotte's arm and dragging her outside the café, leaving the family confused.

When they got on the beach, Charlotte grabbed her notepad and started to whack him upside the head with it repeatedly.

"How. Dare. You. Do. That!" she shouted as she continued to hit him. Riley grabbed her arm and took the notepad out of her hand.

"Really? I'm trying to apologize and you're hitting me!" He said, a little agitated. He expected her to be stubborn, but not still angry at him.

Then again, he did avoid her afterward.

"Well, when you drag me from my job in front of **customers,** that's when I get angry! Now shouldn't you be flirting with some other girl in distress?" she asked.

"Actually, I don't because I'm trying to apologize to a beautiful waitress and ask her out on a date!" Riley exclaimed. Then, he covered his mouth.

That had not come out as planned.

Charlotte just stared at him. Slowly, the anger she held for him started to dissipate and eventually calmed down. Riley noticed this.

Maybe there was hope for them after all.

"Listen, you seem like a great guy and all, but I'm not interested in dating anyone. And besides, I am completely done with guys who send me mixed signals, "she said, slightly directing that point to him, "the first time we met, you were sweet and caring. The next time we saw each other, you were rude, arrogant, and a complete jerkface! Not to mention, that you've been in all my classes and you've never acknowledged me. Never once.

So even if we were friends, it would be hard dealing with you. Not to sound harsh, but I'm speaking the truth."

Ok. Maybe not complete hope, but Riley had to try.

He raised his hands up in surrender.

"Alright, I understand. Around you, I haven't seemed like the best person and I'm sorry. I have my days where I can be moody and my days where I can be great and you honestly shouldn't have to deal with that. But I want to get to know you. Maybe asking for a date is a little too much, but can we at least be friends? I promise I will try to act better around you. Just give me a chance, please."

By this time, he was practically begging. Charlotte looked at him in shock.

Alright, no one has ever done this before. Especially for her.

What made her so special?

"Alright, we can be friends," Charlotte said, "but only if you promise to keep your word, not only to me but to everyone else."

Riley smiled and almost went up to hug her but realized that he would be overstepping his boundaries.

 _Cool it, dude! Don't mess this up,_ he thought to himself.

So instead, he held out his hand, which Charlotte grasped firmly, and shook it

"Okay, now that that's done with, may I please have my notepad back and head back in for work before I get fired?" Charlotte asked.

 _Not that Laguna would,_ Charlotte thought.

Riley slightly fumbled while handing her the notepad. She accepted it gracefully and started to head back to the café. But she had one thing left to be said.

Charlotte turned around one last time and said to Riley,

"I'm Team Neither."

Riley looked at her in confusion.

"What?"

Charlotte rolled her eyes playfully and said "You thought that I was on Team Edward or on Team Jacob. But I'm on Team Neither, meaning that I'm on neither side because it's pointless to go after someone who's, one way or another, managed to ruin so many people's lives for a little thing. Plus, both guys could do better and now Jacob is back to being Bella's lapdog, only this time, her daughter is holding the leash."

Riley got what she was trying to say and started to laugh. Charlotte started to laugh as well as she turned and headed towards the café.

* * *

**Charlotte's POV**

When I walked back into the café, I quickly felt a pair of eyes on me. I turned around and saw Jonathan glaring at me with his black eyes. He must have seen me and Riley talking.

Suddenly, the words he said to me the day he stopped Jason and his gang from assaulting me came into my head.

_"Let me make this clear: I didn't do that for you. I did that because it would have been only a matter of minutes until you remembered what you could do and expose my family. To be honest, I could care less about you being harassed by some boy you led on... "_

I couldn't help but feel a shiver run down my back and shudder at his words. I always thought about it.

He honestly thought I would harm the Coves. That was preposterous... yet so true.

After constantly, re-listening to Lewis's video message, I understood that I had the potential to be a dangerous threat to anyone around me. But I would never harm the Coves, especially Laguna and Karen. They've helped me so much and they really care about me.

Besides, even if I did use my powers on others, I strictly limited myself for only using them for self-defense purposes only. I would never use them to harm other people on purpose. I've already learned my lesson.

After waiting for a few tables and bringing them their order, I was taking a small break when I saw Karen walking towards me with a smirk on her face.

Oh boy, what's up with her now?

"So, I see that you and Riley are well acquainted now," She said. My eyes widened.

Oh, joy. Not only did Jonathan see me, but even Karen saw our little "talk".

"It was nothing really. It was just him apologizing for being an a-butthole, " I said to refrain from cursing, "he even had the nerve to ask me out before even asking if we could be friends first! And I hope even agreeing to be friends will be enough!"

Dating was officially the last thing on my list and I didn't plan on moving it up any time soon.

Karen giggled.

"Well, since I saw the two of you laughing, I think your decision will be worth well."

She winked at me and left to go back to manning the cash register. I felt my sweatdrop.

Oh great. Everyone is trying to play matchmaker with me.

* * *

**On the drive to the Cove's residence...**

**3rd POV**

After Charlotte's shift ended, Karen and she (Brendan and Thomas would ride with Jonathan, much to his displeasure) took the van and drove to the Cove's house for Charlotte's new lesson.

Her scars had healed well, but Charlotte could still feel the pain in her back. Knowing Laguna, she would probably have to do more water therapy to make sure she felt better again.

"So, what am I learning?" Charlotte asked Karen.

She had no problem with a history lesson- which, to be honest, she hadn't gotten a lot of- but Charlotte wanted to know more about mermaids, like the myths that are actually true.

For example, is it really a myth that mermaids have underwater kingdoms? Or, were there other types of things she could use her powers on, like acids?

Stupid, she knew, but it would be exciting to learn about it.

As if she read her mind, Karen said "Don't worry. You'll know more about your heritage soon. But for the lesson, it's a surprise."

Charlotte gave her a pouty face and they both laughed.

By the time they arrived, Charlotte practically jumped out the car while it was still moving into the driveway - Karen laughed at that - and entered the house.

When she got to the fireplace, she'll admit that she waited impatiently for Karen, but who could blame either of them. Charlotte was eager to find out what she was learning and Karen was pregnant and needed to take her time.

When Karen FINALLY arrived, she asked "How come you're not already in the cave?"

Charlotte was about to reply that she was waiting for her but realized something.

She had no idea how to open the passageway.

Charlotte, realizing her dilemma, blushed in embarrassment.

Karen laughed and said "All you have to do is ignite a fire and make it grow all the way to the top of the glass cylinder. Then, after a few seconds, pull the flame out."

Charlotte nodded and looked at the fireplace.

She raised her hand up and closed it in the direction of the fireplace. Then, the wood ignited into flames. Next, using both hands, she raised both up to the ceiling, causing the fire to grow with it.

Soon enough, the fire was at the top of the cylinder.

Charlotte grasps her hand in thin air, like she was pulling something to her, and pulled it back.

The entire fire disappeared.

The cylinder started to go up into the ceiling and the fireplace went into the ground. Then, the granite wall slid to the side, revealing the passage to the cave.

Karen clapped.

"Congratulations, Charlotte. You have now gotten access to the cave!"

Charlotte smiled as she walked through the cave entrance with Karen right behind her.

* * *

**In the cave/pool...**

When Charlotte arrived at the pool, she was surprised to see that no one was there.

"Laguna? Laguna, where are you?" she called as she looked around the pool.

There was no response.

Charlotte looked around the sitting area to see if her mentor may have hidden behind the chairs. But she wasn't there.

"Alright. This is a funny prank, I'll admit. I honestly didn't think you had this kind of sense of humor, but this is good," she said.

Still no response.

She was about to leave the pool and walk out of the cave, when, all of a sudden, she felt it.

Whenever she controlled water, she could almost dare say that she could _feel_ it, or an essence of it.

She turned around and decided to look again. When she walked past the pool, she felt that essence again. But it felt all clumped up together, not like how it felt to freeze, but like it was moving but being forced together in a contained space.

And then she remembered what she learned in science class: Water is everywhere, even dispersed in small molecules or water vapor.

Only one person should be in this room beside her and Karen, who also just so happened to be missing as well.

And also, water can appear clear because it's not absorbing enough light.

Could it be?

"Laguna...is that you?" she asked.

Not knowing exactly what she was doing, she reached her hand out and got a reflection. It was water-like, but inside it appeared to be...

Suddenly, to her not-so-much astonishment, Laguna appeared in front of her.

Though she wasn't surprised, Laguna was.

How would Charlotte have known it was her, let alone, seen her?

Deciding to ask her about that later, Laguna put on a smile and said "Hello Charlotte. In case you missed it, which I find highly impossible, you just saw one of the powers for a natural mermaid."

"Wait a minute! You can turn invisible?" Charlotte asked. She didn't know what happened to allowed her to sense Laguna, but she was going to have to work on it.

Laguna nodded. "Yes, usually, natural-born mermaids get extra powers, along with their original ones. And as you saw, one of them is invisibility."

Then, Karen appeared beside Charlotte, only this time, she managed to scare the heck out of her.

"Sorry! Didn't mean to scare you, that was supposed to be my mother's job," Karen said, earning a look from Laguna, "but that's beside the point. You see, for today, or rather this evening's lesson, we'll be teaching you the powers of natural-born mermaids. But first...History lesson!"

The few minutes, Charlotte and the two women sat around the sitting as she listened to how mermaids had used these powers to escape predators and fishermen. They used invisibility to escape and not be seen as their enemies and land dwellers, and sometimes play pranks on each other. The power to counter this ability was Invisibility Detection, the ability to detect other invisible mermaids.

However, Laguna believed that it was hard to learn and master because it was controlling small portions of water and needed control to hold it, often doing the action standing still.

Laguna believed that Charlotte's hydrokinesis- and time(s) as a mermaid- had developed her senses to feel the molecules making her invisible. There's no other explanation to how she could have seen her.

"So, try it," Laguna urged to Charlotte. "It will be good practice. Just concentrate, wave, and curl your hand into a fist. Believe you're gathering and holding something tight."

Charlotte nodded. She waved her hand into a fist and pulled it into her chest. She didn't feel any different. But when she looked at her other hand, she couldn't see it. So when she dropped the hand that was on her chest, she saw her other hand became visible.

She had just turned herself invisible.

Cool.

"Alright, one power down, one more to go," Karen muttered.

The other power was telekinesis, much to Charlotte's surprise.

"This power took centuries for natural-born mermaids to fully master before any mermaid could do it. Telekinesis, which is most often mistaken for levitation," Laguna said, "takes concentration, visualization, and sometimes silence to master. When it is, this could become as easy to use, practically as easy as using your powers on a daily basis."

"It takes a great deal of practice and concentration. For example, watch me," Karen said.

She placed a glass of water on the table and stared at the glass.

Charlotte watched in amazement as 3 small balls of water rose out of the glass and began to move in a ring-like circle. All while literally lifting the glass itself into the air.

Karen wasn't doing any specific hand gestures or anything. She was doing the whole thing with her mind.

"Wow..." Charlotte awed as Karen put the water back into the cup, bringing the whole cup onto the table again. "That's amazing!"

Laguna agreed. "Yes, it is. But like what we said, it takes a great deal of practice and concentration."

"So, can I try it?" Charlotte asked. Laguna looked skeptical about this but nodded.

Charlotte looked at the glass and closed her eyes.

She started to think about water, it rises out of the glass in a ball, and it circling itself around the glass in a juggling matter.

Charlotte peaked with one eye and both of her eyes widened when she saw a small ball of water moving around the glass cup as it lifted wobbly off the table.

But unfortunately, due to her loss of concentration, the ball fell on the table with a small 'SPLAT', as did the cup, spilling water in some places.

"Oops..." Charlotte said.

Laguna made a hand gesture that caused the small puddled to rise off the table and back into the glass.

"Don't worry, practice makes perfect. But that was a really good try for your first time," Laguna said, "so you see, there's more to being a mermaid than sprouting a tail and having powers. One thing for sure is that you have to actually learn something. The other is that you can expand your abilities."

Charlotte nodded and realized that she had something to ask.

"Are there more abilities to having visions? I mean, I have the gift to see visions and all, so is it possible to do more than that?" she asked.

Laguna looked at her sadly. This was a topic she did NOT want to teach the girl.

"Charlotte, though I'm NOT going to tell you how old I am, I can tell you that _that_ gift is a mixed blessing. You know how you reacted when you had the vision of the Water-Snake. That is just one of the many examples of how this gift can harm you physically and mentally.

Trust me, for as long as I had it, I did learn that there was more to it than just seeing certain things. And if I were to teach you that, there would be a chance that I would be putting you at risk," Laguna explained.

Charlotte put her head down a little in shame.

"So, is that a no?" she asked.

Laguna looked at her in pity.

"I'm sorry my dear, but I'm afraid so."

* * *

**At Charlotte's house...**

When Charlotte and Thomas ( he arrived at the Coves in the middle of Charlotte's lesson) got dropped off at home, Charlotte was relieved to see that the house was dark-signaling that Annette was in bed already.

Charlotte used her key to get both of them in. After that, she made him a bowl of food, took a bath- part of her may never get over her tail- and got ready for bed.

After putting on her nightgown, she let Thomas into her room and plopped herself onto her bed.

Alright, so Charlotte learned two things tonight.

1\. Like natural-born mermaids, land-transformed mermaids can acquire the ability of Telekinesis, but not Invisibility. Apparently, Invisibility was a birthright to the natural ones only.

2\. Laguna refuses to teach her how to control and manipulate her visions.

It's not like Charlotte doesn't know pain. She's been through it physically and mentally for months and she could care less.

Was it that Laguna didn't trust her?

No, Laguna wouldn't judge her like that. If she had known Charlotte last year, of course.

But she had her memories and yet agreed to train her.

So what's the matter?

Charlotte shook her head. She already had enough to deal with.

She still owed Alaine the proper reply to if she was going with her this weekend. And don't get her started on Riley!

Sighing in frustration, she pulled the covers over her and turned off the lights. Thomas took the decency to jump onto the bed and lay next to her feet.

With one huff, she closed her eyes and went to sleep.

Only, she didn't stay there.

* * *

_She couldn't_ _help but think she should have known she was going to have a vision._

_What else would take her someplace other but Dreamland?_

_Like the last vision, it was all black everywhere. There was nothing but darkness and silence at first._

_Then, like a vacuüm, everything started to spin around and around until it stopped and Charlotte heard waves crashing._

_She was now in a different place._

_The scenery took place around night-time, she noticed. The sky was black and full of stars. She turned around and saw that she was at the beach, but it was a different beach, not Paradise Cove._

_There were cliffs that surrounded the top part of the beach in an oval-like shape. There were large rocks on both sides of the beach, making anyone who came here have to walk a few feet into the water to get there._

_The beach was practically a secluded area._

_Suddenly, she heard someone snoring. She looked around the sands and saw a few girls sleeping on the ground in sleeping bags._

_As Charlotte walked towards them, she recognized most of them. They were the girls from the choir and teammates from the softball team._

_Where the hell was she?_

_"Grrr..."_

_Charlotte, recognizing that growl anywhere, turned around to see Thomas right behind her._

_"Thomas...what are you doing here?" She asked. He just whined and started walking along the bottom of the cliffs._

_Charlotte walked away from the sleeping girls and followed him._

_He sniffed around the rocks, moving any pebbles and sand in the way._

_"Thomas, what are you looking for?" Charlotte asked curiously._

_She got her answer when he stopped and halted at the center of the cliffs._

_Charlotte honestly didn't know what he was doing. One minute, he searching for gold. The next, he stops like something's wrong._

_Then, Charlotte looked up at the sky and felt a strong pull inside her._

_It was a full moon._

_It gave off a bright glow, so bright that you would seem to think it was lighting up the beach on purpose._

_WOOF!_

_Charlotte looked at where Thomas was barking at and gasped._

_The light shined on the cliffs to the place where Thomas stopped._

_The glow started to form an oval-shaped entrance as the light got brighter. In fact, it started to glow blue._

_Suddenly, the glow was gone and there was a tunnel in its place._

_Thomas made no hesitation and ran in._

_"Thomas STOP!" She yelled, running into the tunnel._

_The rocky walls seemed to have been there for years. As Charlotte walked through the tunnel, she couldn't help but feel like this was so familiar._

_It felt like she had walked forever until she heard Thomas bark._

_WOOF!_

_She ran to the end of the tunnel and, though she was glad to have found him, what she saw amazed her._

_At the end of the tunnel was a huge cave. And it was HUGE! The walls were formed in a big, circular shape and in them were hundreds- no thousands of sparkling blue crystals embedded in them._

_The cave ceiling was exposed to the night sky. It was in a circular shape, possibly a few hundred feet wide. It resembled the top of a cave beach._

_Wait? If that's the top, then...Charlotte's eyes grew as she looked at the bottom._

_There was a giant, crystal blue pool right in front of her. Very big and possibly very deep._

_No, it was practically the size of the Great Lake, but deep down, she knew it was a pool._

_Suddenly, there was a bright, blue glow and she looked up to see the moon hovering over the pool. The pool started to glow and a big, and she means BIG, amount of bubbles, and rise up to the sky._

_Wait a minute! She knew those bubbles anywhere._

_Those were the same bubbles that turned her into a mermaid in Australia._

_Her eyes widened in shock._

_Holy hell, she was looking at what was possibly the world's largest moon pool in existence!_

**_Charlotte..._ **

_Charlotte froze._

_It might have been a while, but she knew that voice anywhere._

_Marana._

_"Who are you? No, scratch that. What do you want?" Charlotte yelled._

_For a while, there was no reply._

_For a moment, Charlotte thought she was safe until she heard haunting words._

_**Welcome home, Charlotte...**   
_

* * *

Charlotte's eyes popped open as she stood straight up in her bed, causing Thomas to raise his head up in alarm.

Charlotte felt herself sweating and she started to breathe heavy. She wrapped her arms around herself.

What did she just witness?

Obviously, it was a vision. But it didn't leave her anything. Another thing she would have to learn by Karen or by herself: the scale of her visions.

Why would Marana tell Charlotte to be welcomed home?

And most importantly, why the hell were her classmates there?

Charlotte thought about this for a moment and suddenly, her eyes widened.

No. Way.

Charlotte grabbed her phone and quickly started to dial the number she was looking for.

Of course, it made complete sense now!

As she put the phone to her ear and heard the phone ringing, someone picked up at the other end.

"Hello...?"

Obviously, she had been asleep.

"Hey, Alaine. It's Charlotte. Where and what time will the girls be meeting up this weekend?"


	21. My Surprising Day with Alaine Part 1

**Charlotte's house, Saturday 19th, 2009...**

**10:30 am...**

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BE-

SMACK!

Charlotte woke up early that morning. After setting her alarm the previous night, she woke up ready for the day.

She went to the bathroom- took a bath, washed her hair, body, evaporated the water from the tub and her tail, did her morning ritual (minus the face wash), and went back to her bedroom.

In her closet, Charlotte picked out and put on a pair of red, khaki shorts, a yellow, short-sleeve shirt, and a pair of boots. It may have not been the weather for boots, but if she was going near the beach and wanted to avoid touching the water than it was necessary. Afterward, she put her hair in a messy braid and noticed her guitar in the corner of her room.

She didn't know why she wanted to bring the instrument, but she couldn't shake off the feeling that she should. So, she put the guitar in the case and carried it with her as she went downstairs.

When she got downstairs, she found Thomas and her mother in the dining room. Thomas was eating scraps for breakfast and her mom had finished the last of the pancakes she was making.

"Morning sweetie. You hungry?" Annette asked, addressing the platter of pancakes she placed on the counter before taking a few off. Charlotte got a good look at the breakfast and felt her mouth start to water. Immediately, she grabbed a plate and took at least 6 pancakes off the platter.

Turns out, having a tail can make anyone work up an appetite.

As she sat down at the table and started to eat - no, devour - her breakfast, Annette watcher her with an amused look on her face.

"In all my years of knowing you, I have never seen you eat that much," Annette said.

Charlotte was on her 3rd by then and took a quick bite before answering.

"Sorry, but I'm hanging out with a few friends and I doubt I'll get anything to eat until later," Charlotte said.

"Really? What are you doing?"

Charlotte shrugged. "Well-

RRRRIIIINNNNGGGG!

Charlotte stopped what she was about to say and pulled out her cell phone to see who it is.

**Caller ID: Alaine W.**

Charlotte answered the phone and put it to her ear.

"Hey, Alaine. How's your morning?" she asked.

 **"Uh...not well. Listen, can I come over to your house right quick? I, uh, had an incident at my house and all. So can I?"** Alaine asked.

Alaine had seen where Charlotte lived a bunch of times due to the two of them riding the bus together, so directions wouldn't be needed.

"Sure," Charlotte said, "what time?"

DING DONG!

Annette got up from her seat and went to answer the front door.

**"I'll be there in about ..."**

Annette opened the door to see a young black girl with half curly and half Medusa-like hair, crusty eyes, a half washed face, and a bunch of clothes with hair irons in hand. She had a phone in her ear.

SWOOSH!

Before Annette could say a word, the girl instantly ran into the house and the nearest bathroom, almost knocking Annette down in the process.

 **"...about now,"** Alaine said, then hang up.

Hearing the bathroom door slamming, Charlotte rolled her eyes.

The girl was practically halfway there when she called.

After getting herself together and closing the door, Annette came back into the dining room with a confused look on her face.

"Was that Alaine?" she asked. Charlotte nodded.

"Yeah...she's special! She, Thomas, and I were going to meet the other girls that we planned to meet at the mall and after that, go to a greenhouse and the beach next. I wonder what happened at her place to cause her to come over so soon?" Charlotte asked.

"Well, when I saw her, she looked like she spent the night in a tree. Honestly, how old is she?" Annette asked.

"15 or 16 years old," Charlotte estimated.

Annette's eyes widened with surprise. A girl of that age hanging out with her nearly 18-year-old daughter was hardly heard of, especially when Charlotte had to go to college the next year.

A few minutes later, Alaine came into the dining room looking proper this time.

Her hair was now tamed and curled up in braids, her face was now cleaned, rejuvenated, and her teeth looked pearl white. She was wearing a jean jacket, a lime green shirt under it, a long, white skirt, and some sneakers.

She turned to Charlotte.

"Sorry to rush in like that. I was having a bad day and... well you don't want to know!" she said with her energetic self. Then, she turned to Annette and held her hand, which Annette shook firmly.

"Good morning. My name is Alaine Williams. I'm the co-captain of the softball team and I play the sport with Charlotte along with singing the choir together," Alaine said, "also, I would like to apologize for barging into your home like that and I promise that the next time I visit, it won't happen again."

Charlotte used her hand to cover her mouth to stop the laughter that was trying to exit itself out of her.

Alaine planned this.

She had to. The arrival seems, not only perfectly timed, but the apology was _way_ too rehearsed. _  
_

And that it took only a matter of minutes for her to get dressed, knowing her, she was probably halfway dressed by the time she called.

But Annette didn't catch it and smiled at Alaine. Her earlier judgment had left her system.

"Oh, so your one of Charlotte's little friends from school. Well, you can call me Annette if you'd like. is too formal and I'm not married anyway," Annette said, "so would you like something to eat. The pancakes are still warm."

Alaine nodded and went to grab a plate. She then sat next to Charlotte with a smile on her face.

RING! RING! RING! RING!

Annette's head perked up as she realized that it was her phone that was ringing. She excused herself from the two teens and left the room.

When they were sure she was out of hearing distance, both girls started laughing up a storm.

"D-did y-you h-h-have to p-plan that w-whole thing o-out? That was s-so p-practiced!" Charlotte cracked up between laughs. She was laughing so hard that her sides hurt.

Alaine was laughing hard too, but she somehow managed to nod her head. After a few minutes, the laughter died down and the two were now breathing heavily.

After gasping for breath, Alaine said "Sorry if I had to fool your mom. But I wanted to:

1\. Make an entrance.

and 2. Got to give you some good news and some bad news.

The bad news: We can't go to the greenhouse. Miranda, you know, the girl from the choir? Well, she was the one who told us about the place at all. But she forgot to tell us the place closed down and moved. So, change of plans."

Charlotte was filled with relief on the inside. She now didn't have to worry about the girls getting too playful and accidentally spray water on her.

"The good news," Alaine continued, "is that instead of just meeting at the mall, we all decided to spend our 'greenhouse time' there instead."

Charlotte groaned inwardly. She rarely liked shopping at all. So, no doubt she'll **_have_ **to get something now.

"Really? Do we have to spend the entire time there?" Charlotte whined. She rarely did that.

Alaine looked at her in surprise.

"What? You don't like shopping?" she asked.

Charlotte nodded. Alaine pondered on this for a second and then came up with a solution.

"How about this: You can come with us and do a little window shopping, try on a few things, and maybe if you change your mind, you can buy a few things. Does that sound like a good compromise?" Alaine asked.

Charlotte thought about this and figured it would be a good idea. She would only look around and, possibly by Alaine's persuasion, try on a few things, but not buy anything except for if she got hungry.

"Alright. Sounds like a plan, but do you mind if I bring Thomas and my guitar with me? Thomas will follow me around regardless, one way or another. As for the guitar, well...I just want to," she said.

Alaine nodded and couldn't stop herself from smiling. Now it was time to spill her surprise.

"Well, since I heard you mention the beach, I have good news for you," Alaine said, giving her best smile.

 _Oh boy, what was she on to?_ Charlotte thought.

"Really? What is it?" Charlotte asked as she grabbed a glass of orange juice and started to drink from it.

Surprise.

"We're staying overnight at the beach! SLUMBER BEACH PARTYYYYYYYY!" Alaine sang in excitement.

In response, Charlotte accidentally did a spit-tank with the orange juice she was drinking...and all went all over Alaine's face, unfortunately.

"WHAT?!"

* * *

As disgusting as it was, Charlotte was thankful that Alaine forgave her for her "accident". Alaine, now in one of Charlotte's shirts, also apologized for springing the news on her like that.

Now, Charlotte had to pack a bag filled with extra clothes, a bottle of sunscreen, a flashlight, a beach towel, her journal, a flashlight, a canteen filled with lemonade, some snacks, her wallet, her cell phone, and a bag of dog food for Thomas.

After putting on the bag, grabbing her guitar case, and putting Thomas's leash on, the two girls went outside.

It surprised Charlotte to see not one - but _**two**_ bikes in the driveway. The green one was Alaine's, but there was a red one as well and they both and baskets on the back of them.

Charlotte's eyes widened when she spotted two sleeping bags in Alaine's basket.

"Really? You were **that** prepared that you brought an extra sleeping bag with you? I have no problem sleeping on a beach towel you know," Charlotte said with an eyebrow raised.

Alaine nodded. "If you thought I was going to let you get away with that, then you are VERY mistaken!"

Charlotte sighed in disbelief. She was _really_ starting to hate surprises.

Charlotte placed her guitar case and her bag in the basket and tied Thomas to the front of the bike.

"So, if you don't mind me asking: Do you know how to ride a bike?" Alaine asked.

Charlotte looked at her and shrugged.

"It's been a while, but I still do. So, you ready?"

Alaine smiled. "Ready."

After putting on their helmets and pads (another courtesy of Alaine), both girls hopped on the bikes and rode off.

* * *

_**Meanwhile...** _

**At the Cove residence...underground pool/cave...**

Laguna was pacing back and forth in the cave as she and Karen were waiting for Charlotte. She was pulling her hair then straightening it, rubbing her hands down her dress in a nervous matter, and if you looked closely, you could tell that her eyes were twitching slightly.

To Karen, she looked like a half-decent Medusa.

Charlotte should have been there an hour ago and still hadn't shown up. This had Laguna worried deeply.

At the moment, Karen was sitting in the cave with Laguna. She was sitting in the sitting area, rubbing her stomach, while Laguna was pacing back and forth.

"This isn't normal Karen! She should have been here an hour ago! What's taking so long?" Laguna said, "What if she's being controlled by Marana, or worse, she's dead and it could be only a matter of hours until she's found!?"

Karen, who had a good idea what happened to the girl, smiled to herself and asked "What if she's just out with a few friends?"

Laguna looked at her and scoffed.

"She doesn't have time for friends! She should be here, training, not gallivanting around!"

Then, taking a breath, Laguna explained.

"You of all people should know that Charlotte is capable of doing anything disastrous. If Marana catches her off guard and controls her, she will make her do whatever she wants. And, trust me, dear, I've been searching the books to at least find ... _something that_ could at least numb the effects of Marana possessing her!"

"Well, maybe you should start looking through the books Zellie gave you. I mean, this you and this family maybe mostly centered around merpeople, but there are more than we know. Perhaps, you should look in on it."

Laguna dismissed that idea. She may be an immortal mermaid, but that didn't mean that she was going to use magic from another supernatural being! That was like playing with a dangerous toy made for something else that was more dangerous!

Laguna looked at her daughter and then noticed something was off. Karen wasn't usually this quiet, but then she looked at her hands and gasped.

Karen was playing with her thumbs.

To an ordinary land dweller, this was nothing but a false habit when they are bored. But in the Mermaidian family, that was a sign for when someone had a secret.

And apparently, Karen was keeping one.

"What do you know?" Laguna asked Karen suspiciously. Karen looked at her.

"What do you mean, Mother? I don't know anything," she said.

Laguna gave her a pointed look.

"Then why are you playing with your thumbs?"

Karen quickly looked down at her hands and stopped.

"I don't know. I'm just waiting for Charlotte, just like you," she said.

Suddenly, Laguna turned to the pool and raised her hand. A pillar of water rose from the pull and expanded as she moved the water over to Karen.

"What are you doing?" Karen asked as she started to panic. She knew EXACTLY what was about to happen.

Before she could get out of the chair, Laguna made the water to make some type of cocoon around Karen. And with a straight palm, Laguna froze the water, causing the water to solid into ice and freeze Karen's whole body to the chair, except for her head and neck.

"MOTHER!" Karen screeched. She hated this punishment for years and the fact that Laguna did this to her while she is pregnant was flabbergasted.

"A hundred years and I still got it. Now listen to me Karen, and listen good. You are going to tell me where Charlotte is or so help me, I will have Jonathan come and put you in the pool and we all could wait hours for the ice to thaw.

Now, what will it be?" Laguna asked menacingly.

Karen gulped. Her mother was NOT crazy and this used to happen when someone in the family lies to her. Karen called this the Ice Cocoon, an original punishment made for this family. She knew her mother didn't mean harm to her grandchild, but this was something Karen knew she had to do.

"Then get him," Karen simply said.

* * *

**Charlotte's POV**

To be honest, I only rode a bike two times in my life.

The first time was when I was a little girl, before my dad and my grandmother died.

The second time was for a fundraiser my mom did in Atlanta. She had managed to gather a bunch of people to ride around the city on their bikes to raise money for breast cancer or something. I had volunteered and rode with her. By the end of the day, both our legs were stiff and our feet were hurting. But it was worth it.

But the ride to the mall was nice, even after we managed to get out of my neighborhood. The sun was shining as I felt the wind blowing through my face, the birds chirping, the sound of the cars passing by. Thomas stopped running the same time I had to hit the brakes.

Smart dog.

But the time was nearly 11:10 am, so of course me, Alaine, and Thomas had to stick by the sidewalks and bike paths

I think it took us 10 minutes or so until we got to the mall. When we got to the entrance, we got off our bikes and parked them on the bicycle stand.

"Hey look! The others are here!" Alaine said as she pointed to a bunch of multi-colored bikes that were parked ahead of us.

The other girls were probably inside waiting for us.

I untied Thomas's leash from the front of the bike and tied him to the metal bar. I made sure to make his leash longer if someone tried to steal our bikes.

"Be good okay and don't do anything that's going to get you taken away, besides guarding our bikes. Okay?" Charlotte said to him.

WOOF!

"No, you can't go chasing other dogs while you're at it. Not even attractive, female ones."

Thomas let out something between a low growl and a whine.

I rolled my eyes. Then, I heard Alaine laughing from behind me. I turned around and gave her a look.

"What? I just so happen to find it _highly_ amusing that you and Thomas can actually hold a conversation," Alaine said while smiling and wriggling her eyebrows.

Charlotte snorted. "Shut up."

Alaine laughed.

After making sure that Thomas was safely secured, I got up and linked arms with Alaine as we walked into the mall.

But I couldn't shake the feeling that I was being watched.

Though the mall was crowded and busy today, it didn't take long for us to find our group. We found them at the center of the mall, sitting on the benches as they were talking among themselves.

By the looks of it, at least 8 girls, plus me and Alaine, came. I saw Dominique Kane, who thankfully forgave me for the accident in tryouts, Samantha Rhodes, a pretty girl with sunny-blonde hair and a nice smile, and a bunch of other girls I knew from Choir and the softball team.

However, I was surprised to see a guy talking to Dominique. He wasn't as tan as her, but they looked alike. Probably her brother maybe?

Alaine made our presence known. Rather loudly.

"WE'RE HERE! Alaine yelled in a sing-song tone. It hurt my ears by how loud she was. We unlinked our arms as we got swarmed by the group.

"It's about time you got here!"

"You almost had us worried there."

"I see you brought Charlotte along," someone said dryly.

This got my attention. I looked to who said it, a girl named Ria, then to Alaine, who just looked sheepish. The group went silent.

I raised an eyebrow at her.

"Alaine, what does she mean by that?" I asked her.

I saw her fumbling with her fingers while she started to ramble with her words.

Well, it's a long story, you see. Today. there were supposed to be more girls and you know how... _picky_ girls can be about other girls and all. And, you remember Willow and Tessa, right? Well, they wanted to come and I was trying to be nice about it and told them who was coming and...and..." Alaine started to tail off and Dominique took the pleasure of explaining.

"In other words, Willow and Tessa were **_pissed_** off that Alaine invited you and practically **demanded** that you couldn't come. There was an overall HUGE fight which led to Alaine deciding to, if anyone didn't want you with us, they couldn't come at all. And it didn't help that most of the girls that Alaine **did** invite were also loyal minions to Will and Tess, so they **had** to not come.

And as you can see, Alaine chose you. And don't worry about Ria. Her sister wanted to come but since she was one of the girls that didn't want you to come, she had to stay at home," Dominique said, "besides, the rest of us are happy to see you."

My eyes widened. I had a feeling that Alaine's ex-friends would start trouble, but the fact they would do something like that shocked me.

"Yeah, besides the girls that didn't come would have annoyed my sister to death, and that's Alaine's job!" someone said as they squeezed from behind Dominique. It was the guy she was talking to earlier.

He was wearing a casual t-shirt and jeans, but I saw that he was wearing dress shoes instead of sneakers. Interesting fashion choice.

"Damon. Damon Kane. I'm Minnie's older brother," he said, extending his hand to me. I shook it.

"Charlotte Watsford," I said, "it's a pleasure to meet you."

He winked at me and I smiled but didn't blush. You can thank Riley for that.

"Well, it's not for us," two voices said from behind me. I turned around and saw that it was Dominique and Alaine. And they looked irritated.

Dominique came up first.

"First of all, don't call me Minnie," she said. Then, she jerked Damon back by pulling the back of his collar and pulled him down so that his head was near her mouth as she whispered something into his ear.

I noticed that he lost a bit of his coloring.

"Don't worry about him," Dominique said as she let her brother go, "he's only going to follow us around since my mom's scared that I'm going to get kidnapped. As for my brother's flirting, ignore it. He always goes for ones that are out of his **virgin** league."

This resulted in Damon grabbing her head and putting it under his arm as he ruffled her head. She screamed at him to get off.

"Ignore them, they love to flaunt their 'affection' for each other," Alaine said to me. Then, she turned to the girls.

"So, you girls ready to have some fun?"

There was a loud cheer from them and Dominique, who managed to get out of her brother's grasp and muttered something about "stinking armpits".

I smiled. Maybe this day will work out after all.

* * *

**3rd POV**

The first shop was a store for swimwear.

**_H2O swimwear and Company._ **

They sold everything from men's and women's swimsuits and swim-trunks. They also sold swimming gear, floats, and other stuff. You name it, they had it!

Why oh why did the girls choose to come to this type of store first, Charlotte didn't know.

As they walked into the store, Charlotte asked Alaine "Why are we going here?"

Alaine smiled and said, "Well, since we're all going to the beach, we all want to get extra stuff to dress for the part."

"So, some of the girls didn't bring swimsuits?"

Alaine looked at her, deadpanned.

"Yep, unfortunately."

The inside of the store was ocean themed. The walls were white with sea-blue waves. The floor, the shelves, and the tables were covered in white sand, seashells, and other beach-like things. The shelves were white with blue pebbles and there was a big display table was in the center of the store with a bunch of neatly stacked jewelry boxes with aquatic-themed pendants in them.

Charlotte noticed Alaine and two other girls go to the table and followed them.

Alaine picked up a jewelry box with a dolphin pendant in it and showed it to her.

"Oooh, I like this one! Dolphins are **so** cute and playful! I wonder what wild dolphins are like for real? Don't you think?" Alaine asked, then she saw the look on her friend's face, "Char?"

Charlotte tensed as she remembered what happened in Australia.

_**Flashback...** _

_She had wanted to face her fear of dolphins, so she had gone to the water park and went into the dolphin enclosure alone. She had tried playing with the Ronnie the dolphin, but he splashed water on her, which resulted in her having to jump into the water with him to avoid being seen in her mermaid form at the time._

_That wasn't her best idea._

_Charlotte will admit that she started to freak out and accidentally used her heat powers on Ronnie._

_Thankfully, Lewis and Cleo got her out of the water, and Ronnie wasn't harmed...badly. But, unfortunately, her pride got the best of her and she ended up yelling at Cleo, telling her that she didn't need her help._

_Charlotte had left that experience TERRIFIED of dolphins ever since._

**_Flashback ends..._ **

"CHARLOTTE!"

Charlotte snapped back into reality and saw Alaine looking at her with a worried look.

"Girl, are you okay?" she asked, "you look like you had just seen a ghost or something."

Charlotte shrugged off her horrific memory and put on a fake smile.

"I'm fine. I think some wild dolphins are playful, but you probably won't know any time soon."

Charlotte looked away from Alaine and started looking at other pendants.

Alaine looked at her in suspicion.

As Charlotte looked around the table, she spotted something in the far back. She reached for it and pulled it out.

In her hand, there were 2 pendants. The first was a silver starfish and the second was a silver fish-hook.

The two instantly reminded her of Karen and Laguna. Karen was like a starfish, big, and had a nice form while doing her job quietly. The fish-hook was a little joke for Laguna.

"I think I'll buy these two. They're for my bosses," Charlotte said.

Alaine looked at the pendants and raised her eyebrows.

"Really? Do you think buying jewelry for them is going to get you a raise? Let me guess: the starfish shows that she's a prima donna and the fish-hook shows that she's a pain in the ass?"

Despite that she was talking about her mermaid teachers, Charlotte chuckled.

"Trust me, my boss isn't so bad. Pain in the ass, no. Stubborn, yes. And the starfish is for her daughter. She works at the café as a cashier and she's having a baby. I'm hoping they'll accept these as an apology for me skipping work today," Charlotte lied.

Well, it was a half-lie. While she told Alaine she would have had to work today, Charlotte was missing her mermaid lesson.

But Alaine seemed to buy it.

"Alright, but it's still bribing," she said. Then, Alaine's eyes widened at the women's swimsuits.

"Come on, I'll bet you'll find something over there!" she exclaimed.

"Alaine, I already told you. I'm not shopping. This, " Charlotte gestured to the pendants, "is a one-time thing."

With that, Charlotte walked away and went to the cashier.

It was an older woman with brown hair and green eyes.

"Excuse me, but I would like to buy these two pendants," Charlotte said as she placed the jewelry on the counter.

The woman smiled at her. "Well, it's your lucky day. We have a special going on today."

The cashier scanned the pendants and put them in a bag.

"That'll be $3.62. Is that all?"

Charlotte shook her head as she pulled out her wallet and took out $4. She gave it to the woman and received her receipt, along with the pendants, in the bag.

"Have a nice day."

"You too," Charlotte said.

As she turned around, she saw Alaine coming towards her with a smirk on her face.

What Charlotte saw in her hand horrified her.

"No no no no no no no no no no...NO!" Charlotte exclaimed.

* * *

"I can't believe you're making me do this!" Charlotte exclaimed from the inside of the dressing room.

On the outside, Alaine and the other girls were waiting for Charlotte to show off her swimsuit.

"Oh, stop being such a Drama Queen! I'm sure you have a nice figure," Alaine said, "and besides, it's not like you're wearing a bikini. Oh no, those are not your style!"

"Yeah, come out already," Dominique said.

Hearing a huff, Alaine couldn't help but raise her camera phone as Charlotte came out of the dressing room.

Charlotte was in a lime-green swimsuit with a large chunk taken out of the side. The suit fit her curves nicely, but her exposed chest made her uncomfortable.

"Well?" Charlotte asked as she tried to cover herself.

The first person to speak was Damon.

"Wow! You look hot!" he said. This caused Charlotte to hide her face and his sister to slap him on the back of his head.

"Dude, that's enough! Stop hitting on her!" Dominique scolded, then she turned to Charlotte. "I think you look great."

Alaine snapped a picture and said "Great! Now I can say that you are sexy in a shark-bite swimsuit!"

By now, Charlotte had to be as red as a tomato.

"Alright, alright, I get it. I'm good looking in a suit that's not my style! Now, can I please take this off? I feel so...naked," Charlotte said as a shiver went down her back.

"Alright, but Alaine will send us the pictures," Samantha said, causing Charlotte to groan as she went back into the dressing room to change.

After leaving H2O, everyone went to other stores like Victoria Secrets (Damon wasn't allowed in there), Claire's Boutique, Avalon, and a few other stores.

Charlotte was, for the first time in a while, truly happy. She never really had friends and even if she tried, it always backfired. But to be socializing, goofing off, having fun with people who like her was like leaving Amish land to live like a regular person. It was relieving.

Alaine always tried to include her in everything and somehow managed to get her to try on more than one outfit in every store they entered. Damon made sure to make flirty comments on whatever she wore, which resulted in his sister constantly hitting him, the other girls would start to have heated debates and Charlotte, surprisingly, would always be a part of it.

By 12:30 pm, it was time for lunch. Everyone started to head to the food court to grab something to eat. All the girls (except for Damon) had at least 2 bags in their hand from most of the stores they went to, except for Charlotte.

She was just so happy to grab something to eat. Alaine probably had at least 100 pictures of her in different outfits from different stores. It was exactly like softball practice: draining.

"Come on! Just one more picture?" Alaine begged.

"No, Alaine. I think Charlotte's had enough of playing a very one-sided game of dress-up," Damon said. The other girls laughed.

Charlotte tried to smile but she couldn't. Wherever the group went, she couldn't help but think she was being watched. At first, she thought it might have been Damon, but he proved not to be perverted.

"Yeah, he's right. All I had to eat today was breakfast and I'm **starving**!" Charlotte exclaimed. Everyone agreed.

They all walked outside to the food court and immediately spread out to different food vendors and stands.

_Grrrrrr..._

Charlotte blushed to herself, embarrassed by how hungry she was. She looked around and spotted a Veggieland food stand.

She licked her lips.

As she made her way over, she felt a strange sense of déjà vu overcoming her. She looked around to see if anyone was watching her, but she saw no one.

Sighing, she went to the stand.

"I'd like some curly carrot fries, a can of lemonade, and a veggie sandwich," Charlotte said.

"Is that all?" the cashier asked.

Charlotte nodded.

"Alright, that'll be $4.56."

She grabbed her wallet and pulled out a $5 bill. She was about hand it to him when a hand stopped her.

"Sorry, but my girlfriend's already had something to eat, haven't you?" a voice asked from behind her.

Charlotte froze. She knew that voice anywhere.

She turned around slowly and her brown eyes met a bluish-purple color.

Jason.


	22. My Surprising Day with Alaine Part 2

* * *

**_Previously..._ **

_"We're staying overnight at the beach! SLUMBER BEACH PARTYYYYYYYY!" Alaine sang in excitement._

_In response, Charlotte accidentally did a spit-tank with the orange juice she was drinking...and all went all over Alaine's face, unfortunately._

_"WHAT?!"_

_..._

_"MOTHER!" Karen screeched. She hated this punishment for years and the fact that Laguna did this to her while she is pregnant was flabbergasted._

_"A hundred years and I still got it. Now listen Karen, and listen good. You are going to tell me where Charlotte is or so help me, I will have Jonathan come and put you in the pool and we all could wait hours for the ice to thaw._

_Now, what will it be?" Laguna asked menacingly._

_..._

_She grabbed her wallet and pulled out a $5 bill. She was about hand it to him when a hand stopped her._

_"Sorry, but my girlfriend's already had something to eat, haven't you?" a voice asked from behind her._

_Charlotte froze. She knew that voice anywhere._

_She turned around slowly and her brown eyes met a bluish-purple color._

_Jason._

* * *

_**Presently.** **.** **.** _

**Charlotte's POV**

Can a girl ever catch a break?

Today, I missed my training to have a day with some friends. And it turned out great!

Now I have to deal with him, that jerk-face, out of all people. Hell, I could have settled for Riley!

I quickly jerked away from Jason's perverted grasp and started walking away. I didn't need this, not today, of all days, and I didn't need _him_!

Suddenly, I tripped and almost fell to the ground. Almost.

I felt a pair of hands catch me and pull me back up.

Once I got back on my feet, I turned to the person who caught me and said "Thanks for catching me like that but I-"

I stopped in mid-sentence when I realized who I was talking to was Jason's little brother, Jose.

"Long time, no see... ** _Charlotte_** ," he said menacingly. I felt a pair of hands wrap around my waist and pull me into something...or someone.

I pulled my head and looked to see who was holding me. It was another one of Jason's cronies, Marick.

"Hello Gorgeous," he said to me.

 _Don't call me Gorgeous..._ I was tempted to say, but bite my tongue as I struggled to get out of his grasps.

"Don't bother. He has a strong grip on you," a voice said. I looked to my right to see Devin smirking at me.

"Oh, why don't you all go to hell! You guys are practically in your early 20's and I'm still 17! This is sexual assault!" I exclaimed, still trying to get out of Marick's grasp. I pushed against him, shoved him, and even stepped on his toes, yet he still wasn't budging!

"Bold talk for a small girl," said another voice. I looked to my left and saw Jonas, smirking at me as well.

"Bold talk for an idiot like you!" I exclaimed. I smiled to myself when I saw Jonas glaring at me.

Maybe I could provoke them all to the point Marick can let me go.

"Well, I highly doubt that," Jason said. The guys crowded into a circle and surrounded me.

"So, I guess a 'Welcome Back' would seem good. Two months earlier, this is nearly the anniversary of the day we first met. But it seems that we won't have time for that," he said, "so, there's no one to save you now. No over-sized bodyguard or some mangy mutt. You are completely alone. What are you going to do now?"

I smirked at him. I didn't come alone, but I won't allow anyone to fight my battles for me either.

"Easy. This!"

I raised my right foot as high as I can and **slammed** it hard on Marick's big toe.

Immediately, Marick let me go and went for his bruised toe.

"Yeee-OOOW!" he screeched as he started to rub his toe.

This gave me an escape before any of them grabbed me.

I ran between him and Jose and shot off like a rocket.

"Don't just stand there! GET HER!" I heard Jason yell from behind me. I picked up my pace as I heard multiple footsteps right behind me. I ran in different directions into the crowd and managed to get them confused.

I searched my surroundings to look for any of my friends but it seemed that they were nowhere to be found. It was like they didn't want to be it didn't help that the food court was crowded either!

I looked around once more, still running for my life until I found Damon standing next to a chili stand devouring a chili hotdog.

I stopped for a moment, just one moment, and yelled "DAMON!" as I waved both of my hands over at him.

I saw him look up from his hotdog and smile at me, but his eyes bugged out and widened.

I frowned at his expression and started to walk towards him until I felt someone cover my mouth from behind and something wrap around my legs. I started trying to wiggle and squirm out of their grasp, but they wouldn't let go!

Immediately, I felt my body being hoisted into the air, but only enough to not get noticed, and came face to face with Marick and Devin.

"You know, it comes in handy to wear two belts," Devin said a little to tauntingly. I just glared at him.

They carried me away and I looked back at Damon, only to see that he was nowhere to be found.

I only **_hoped_** that he went to get help.

* * *

Marick and Devin carried me to an empty women's restroom and I noticed a metal chain across the entrance with a " **CAUTION!** " sign hanging on it. But, with me hoisted in the air, they just stepped over the chain.

When they got in, I saw Jason and the rest of his gang practically giving me their sickest smiles. Marick uncovered my mouth, but I just glared at him.

"Well, that was fast," Jason said, "did anyone see you?"

Marick shook his head. "Nah, we were in and out of there. Though she was trying to catch someone's attention, they probably missed her."

"Good," Jason said, then rubbed his hands together, "now let's get this show on the road. Devin, unbind her."

Devin nodded and reached down to take off the belt.

Once I felt my legs get freed, I didn't hesitate as I raised my leg and kicked Devin square in the nose!

I saw him fall to the ground with his hands covering his nose. I think I saw a little blood squirt as well.

Mermaid: 1

Bad Guys: 0

I felt Marick pull my arms behind my back and held them tightly. I watched as Devin got up with a bloody nose.

"You son-of-a-" he started.

"Sorry, I'm not a guy, I don't have kids, and I'm not a dog," I finished for him. He glared at me so hard that if looks could kill, I'd already been dead.

He was breathing hard and in pants. His brown eyes looked like he was out for blood and looked downright hungry, like an animal that spent days chasing after its prey and had grown savage.

He turned to Jason and said, "I know we had a deal, but I'm sorry man."

Then, he turned back to me and in an instant, I felt his fist collide with my stomach and I felt my breath and my lights get knocked out of me.

Sure, in Atlanta, I had been beaten up a few times, but I have never taken a punch to my guts. And God did it hurt! It was like being hit by a 6-pound sledgehammer!

I grunted and doubled over in pain until I felt something collide with my chin _**hard**_ , and my body, along with my head, shot straight up off the ground. It was then that I moaned in pain. I heard Devin chuckled.

Oh, he was enjoying this.

After that, I was repeatedly felt my conscience slipping as he continued to punch me in the stomach and kneaded me in the face.

 _ **Come on, come on, come on Charlotte! You're a mermaid for Pete's sake! Use your powers!** _I thought to myself but it wasn't working. I could use my powers on these idiots but how can I when I keep losing my breaths and the verge of losing my full consciousness?

After one last punch, Marick _finally_ let me go. I slid to the cold, tile floor with my hand clutching over my stomach.

Damn, it hurt!

I started to catch my breath by breathing into my nose and out through my mouth. I repeated this at least five times until I felt a strong hand grab me by the neck and lift me to my feet. I looked up to see it was Jason, smirking at me.

"Well, now you know what happens when you misbehave. You know, normally I would have said no. But this is like our third time encountering each other. Did you need to have someone rescuing you every time?" he asked me.

When I didn't answer, he dragged me and threw me headfirst into the wall at the end of the restroom. I hissed at the new in the back of my head.

I started to slide down the wall until Jason came up to me and held me into place.

I lifted my head slightly and dropped it. I could hardly catch my breath, much less concentrate on my powers.

I felt my left arm get pinned to the wall above my head and the same thing to my right arm. Then, I felt Jason's hand leave my throat and felt **both** of his hands trailing both sides of my body.

Uhh, this will end badly for me.

"HEY! Didn't your mothers teach you that touching girls that are younger than you is illegal!"

Like an adrenaline rush, me, including everyone else, looked at the restroom entrance and saw Damon. My eyes widened in fear.

What the Hell! I wanted him to go get help, like the police or something. Not play hero!

Then, Jason chuckled. "And who are you supposed to be?"

"Easy. I'm the guy who's going to kick your butt! And what did you do to Charlotte?!" Damon demanded. He glared at Jason and his gang with hatred but looked at me with panic and worry.

Jason just shrugged.

"Easy. She just got punished for fighting back," he simply said. I knew he could about my wellbeing at the moment.

I saw Damon taking a few deep breaths and said "Well, if your done 'punishing' her, me, my sister, and the rest of her friends are worried about Charlotte, so..."

Then, he tried to run towards me.

But Jason gave Marick and Devin some invisible signal and, before I could warn him, the two grabbed Damon and pulled him to the ground.

"What the Hell!" Damon exclaimed, then calmed down, "listen, you don't have to do this. You guy can walk away now and I can promise that I and Charlotte won't speak of this to anyone, even the police. Just stop."

Jason nodded. "Yeah, that would be a good idea, but this virgin right here, assuming she is one, has given us trouble the last two times we met. And this time, we plan to do this meeting ..."

Jason made a gesture to Devin, who curled his hand up into a fist and landed a punch to Damon's stomach.

Like me, he had the wind knocked out of him. But unlike me, he never got a chance to catch a breath because Devin kept sending blows into him.

My eyes widen in horror as I watch Damon get hurt... because of ...me.

God, why didn't I just say no and not joined Jason and his goons for lunch that day?!

My mind was so worried about Damon that I didn't feel Jason's hand get through my pant's zipper and...inside my underwear.

...

Just in time for Devin to punch Damon in the nose and blood to come out.

Instantly, the fear and exhaustion left me and I was refilled with anger and energy.

It was one thing to feel someone up and harass their friends.

...

But it was another to touch _**my** _crotch and beat my friend to a bloody pulp!

I looked around and realized my advantage now: I was in a restroom.

Restrooms had water in the toilets and sinks and I was a mermaid with the power to control and expand water.

BOY did these guys pick a bad place to bring me... a **_really_ **bad place.

I looked to my left and, passed Jonas, I saw the sinks and to my luck, they had handles.

With all my concentration, I turned my left hand towards the sinks and with a twist of my hand, one of the sinks started to run water out of it.

This got Jason's attention and he pulled his hand from out of my pants. Thank God!

Jason turned his head towards the running sink and said "Devin, turn that thing off!"

My eyes shifted to Damon. His bloody nose was running and, to my horror, a bit of blood was coming out of his mouth.

Devin dropped his fist and turned to Jason. "Why can't you do it?"

"Because I said so!" Jason snapped. As he turned back to me, I saw Devin groan and went to turn off the water.

Only it wouldn't stop running.

Devin kept turning the handles, but under my control, he couldn't.

"Jason, it won't work," he said, still trying to turn the water off. Jason snapped his head at him.

"What do you mean it won't turn off? Turn the handles stupid!"

"I mean, no matter what I do, the damn water won't stop!" Devin exclaimed.

"Well then, ignore it! We've got better things to do!" Jason told him.

But before Devin could walk away, I turned my hand again, causing the next sink to run. Devin went to turn that one-off, but since it was also under my control, it wouldn't stop.

And then I continued.

One by one, water started to running from each sink, and, for poor Devin, he _**still**_ couldn't turn them off. Soon enough, all the sinks were running unstoppable.

"What the hell is going on here?!" Jason exclaimed. As he tried to molest me, he kept getting distracted and he hated it.

Then, he walked away from me and towards Devin.

Next, as fast as I could blink, he landed a sucker punch on Devin's face, causing him to fall head-first into the floor. Serves him right!

"I asked you to do one thing. One simple little thing, and you can't even do that!" Jason yelled, "if you want something done, you've got to do it yourself!". Then, he started turning the handles to turn the water off.

I looked towards Damon, who despite how bloody he looked, was relieved to breathe. I had figured that the sinks would distract Devin long enough to stop, but now, I had other plans.

I looked towards my right and saw the restroom stalls.

I felt a devilish smile forming on my face.

"Hey! What are you smiling about?" Jose asked me. I forgot that he was holding my right arm.

"Oooooh...nothing!" I chimed in a sing-song voice.

Just as I said that, I twisted my right hand at an open stall and with my powers, made the toilet flush and continued.

This also got Jason's attention. He walked away from Devin and went to the flushing toilet.

"What is going on here?" he asked himself. And then, with a twist of my hand, I caused water to rush out the toilet and completely exploded and doused him from head to toe.

He came out soaking wet and was pulling out wet tissue paper from his mouth.

 _Oh,_ the toilet I chose was clogged up. Oh, Happy Day!

"Dude, what happened to you?" Jose asked his brother.

But before he could reply, I summoned all the toilets to flush mode.

I watched as Jason and Devin entered all the stalls to see all the toilets flushing.

"Dude, I think we should leave," Devin suggested. By the looks of it, he was starting to lose his anger and was now starting to freak out. Huh, serves him right!

Jason looked at him in ridicule.

"Are you serious?! I haven't gotten what I wanted yet!" he exclaimed.

"Oh come on! You felt the girl in between her legs! I think you got something alright!" Devin countered.

At some point, I stopped listening and looked back at Damon. I never looked closely, but I now noticed that his bottom lip was busted, his cheek was bruised, and his right eye was turning black. A black eye.

Time to kick it up a notch!

I twisted my hand towards the sinks and, with a little practice from my two **_new_ **powers, I caused the water to explode all over Jason, Devin, Marick, and Damon. It was a sight!

Next, I twisted my left hand and used my powers to make the toilets overflow. I got my job done when I heard a sickening sound from the stalls and the water started pouring out of the floor at a quick speed.

I watched as Jason and Devin tried to stop the water from coming out of the sinks while Marick had dropped Damon to the wet floor and was trying to figure out what was going on with the toilets. I couldn't help it and made the water explode out of the toilet and hit him in the face like a water cannon!

Getting scared now, I saw Jonas and Jose release me and ran out of the restroom as fast as a cheetah. I took the time to turn off all the sinks and flushing toilets.

Hah! The look on Jose's face was priceless!

I zipped up my pants, looked down at the floor, and noticed the water that was flowing around my boots. Water...

Crap! I forgot the _**one**_ disadvantage of being a mermaid :

One drop of water and I sprout a tail!

I had to get me and Damon out of here before water sprayed me and everyone saw me in my tail...and I don't even want to **think** of what Jason would do if he saw me.

I started to walk towards Damon, who was face-flat on the floor until I found myself face to face with Jason and his remaining goons. All of them were soaking wet and their clothes were completely drenched from the blasts I sent them.

If the atmosphere wasn't so tense, I would have laughed in their faces!

Out of all three of them, Jason was the maddest. His face was pure red, if that was even possible, his hands were clenched into fists and his eyes just stood there, glaring holes into my body.

Part of me had almost suspected that he knew I was the one that caused the entire restroom to be on the verge of flooding, but the look in his eyes was completely, utterly...empty.

I stepped back and put my hands behind my back if they tried something, and judging by the way they acted, they would.

Jason started towards me and, before I could blast him, he grabbed my face forcefully and kissed me! KISSED ME! I swear, his lips tasted like a nuclear waste that was ready to explode and turn into toxic waste!

**THAT WAS THE LAST STRAW!**

I kicked Jason in his baby maker and shoved him away from me as far as I could. When he was a good distance from me, I summoned the water from all over - the sinks, the toilets, and the floor - to my will and in one direct hit, Jason and the others were literally _**blasted**_ out of the restroom and out into the crowd! I could hear them screaming like little girls as they ran away.

"Mmmmmm..." I heard a moan. I looked down at Damon to see that he was passed out on the floor. He must have fallen unconscious as soon as Marick let him go, not that I blame him. He shouldn't have had to go through that.

I started walking towards him until I slipped and fell onto the wet, cold floor. I forgot that the sinks and toilets were still shooting water onto the floor.

And 20 seconds later, I sprouted my tail.

I quickly looked back at Damon's sleeping form. His head was slightly moving from left to right and continued to moan quietly. I had to dry myself off fast, and maybe the entire restroom before he woke up.

I put my hand over my tail and closed it into a ball and did the same thing to my other hand as I directed it towards the floor. Then, I watched as my tail and the room went up in steam as the water quickly evaporated into the air and dried me off.

One of my favorite parts of being a mermaid with heat powers!

After a few minutes, I got my legs back and the floor was dry to the bone, along with the sinks and toilets. I got back up and quickly ran to his side.

"Damon, Damon wake up!" I shouted as I shook him on his side, "please Damon, wake up. You don't want them to come back, do you?"

Honestly, I doubt that the gang would even return for another round of water blasts.

When he wasn't waking up, I did the most optional thing to do.

I raised my hand over his face and smacked him across his cheek as hard as I could!

In an instant, Damon's eyes popped wide open as he sat up straight and looked at me in shock.

"Did you just _**slap** _me?" he asked as he cradled his cheek.

"Well, how else was I supposed to wake you up?" I asked. "Because I didn't think just dousing water on you would've worked."

He opened his mouth to say something back, but nothing came out.

"Alright, you win. But who were those guys and where did they go?" he asked. Thankfully, I could answer that.

"Well, some woman had heard the commotion in here and walked in. Seeing what was going on, she quickly ran out and went to get the cops. So, they let us go and ran to the hills like the cowards they were!" I stated. I laughed internally as I thought of the blast.

Damon nodded. "Alright, but _who_ were they?"

I sighed. "To me, there a bunch of guys who have been after me since...well, for a while. This was as close as they've gotten so far. Now answer this for me: Why didn't you go get help? It would be far better for BOTH of us if you did that!"

"And if I was too late? Charlotte, look at yourself in the mirror and tell me if what could have happened if I hadn't come in when I did," Damon said as we both got back on our feet.

I walked towards the mirrors and looked at the aftermath Jason and Devin left on me.

I had a noticeable handprint around my neck, my chin was all bruised up but nothing a little ointment couldn't do, and then I noticed how pale yet red-faced I looked.

Maybe Damon was right.

Maybe something _could have_ happened.

* * *

**3rd POV**

As soon as Charlotte and Damon got out of the restroom, they wasted no time looking for the girls. But it wasn't long when they found them huddled up at the water fountain.

All the girls were in shock, especially Dominique and Alaine when they saw how battered they were.

"Oh my god! What happened?! Did Damon molest you or something?" Alaine asked as she rushed over towards Charlotte, completely leaving Damon hanging.

"Hey! I'll have you know that I'm the perfect gentleman! And I'll leave that to Charlotte to explain," he said, looking at Charlotte.

Charlotte glared at him accusingly and looked at Alaine. "No, he was fine. We both had a run-in with a couple of bad guys and it...well we got away with a few bruises! Nothing to worry about!"

Alaine scoffed. "A few bruises? Nothing to worry about? You both need medical attention!"

Then, she turned to the group. "Did anyone bring a first aid kit?"

"I did, but it's in my bag...which is in my basket with the other bikes," a girl said sheepishly.

"Well, let's go. We are on a schedule and I for one don't like a change in them. So come on!" Alaine said as she grabbed Charlotte's hand and led everyone to the mall entrance.

When they got there, Charlotte got a good amount of ointment and makeup around her neck and her chin while Dominique fixed up her brother and put on eye patch over his black eye.

"Mom is going to **_kill_ **you when you get home later," Dominique said to her brother. **  
**

"Ah, don't worry! I'll just use some of mom's makeup in her room to cover it up," Damon said.

His sister raised an eyebrow. "Do you even know how to even put on makeup?"

Damon smiled in a cocky way. "Yeah, all I have to do is find the right skin tone, use a brush, and delicately brush it around my eyes like it says to do in your magazines!"

He smiled triumphantly until he realized that he just blew his secret.

"Damn you, Minnie!" he exclaimed. All the girls laughed as Dominique smacked him upside the head with a "Don't call me that!" banter.

Alaine laughed and looked at Charlotte, who was laughing pretty hard when she noticed something.

It never occurred to her, but Charlotte's laughs were different at times. When the two are alone, Charlotte usually gave out small laughs unless it's something really funny. But now, in a group, she was more vocal about it.

Maybe she should schedule more outings like this more often.

"Hey Charlotte," Alaine said, getting her friend's attention, "who attacked you and Damon exactly?"

Charlotte looked at her skeptically. But before she could reply, there was a loud screech coming from the mall entrance as two police cars parked in front of the mall.

"YOU LITTLE BITCH!"

Everyone turned around to see Jason and his goons being taken out of the mall by police officers with handcuffs linking their hands behind their backs. Once Jason saw Charlotte and spat curses at her way as he struggled against the police officer holding him.

"THIS ISN'T OVER! I'M GOING TO FIND YOU, HUNT YOU DOWN, AND I'M GOING TO KILL YOU! AND I'LL MAKE SURE OF IT!" he yelled.

Jason then managed to get away from the police officer and came charging towards Charlotte.

Feeling the panic in her chest, and not wanting to use her powers this time, Charlotte quickly ran to Thomas's side and unleashed him. She watched as her dog made a run towards Jason, who he remembered _**really**_ well, and leaped upon him, causing Jason to fall headfirst to the ground in the process. Next, after growling at him in a threatening manner, he calmly got off of his as the officer forced Jason to his feet and placed him into one of the police cars with the others.

Everyone watched as the cars sped off and Thomas walked towards Charlotte's side.

Charlotte knelt and rubbed his right ears. Thomas leaned into it.

"You are such a good boy! Did you know that?" she asked.

WOOF!

"I thought so."

* * *

After getting over the incident and locking Thomas back onto the bike, Damon went home and the group hit the road.

It was fair to admit that the ride was long and slightly tiring, but it was worth it. Nearly 5 hours of it.

Charlotte got a good look at the parts of California that she hadn't seen in the 3 months she had lived in Cali, but then again, she had gained her tail and new powers, so she didn't much sight-seeing unless she was in Paradise.

Occasionally, the group took breaks and stretched out their legs and arms for about 5 minutes, but as soon as they ended, the girls hit the road.

Finally, they arrived at the beach, Westward Beach. It wasn't as crowded as Paradise, but everyone could easily pick out a space to lay down on.

"Welcome to Westward beach!" Alaine as everyone parked their bikes and gathered their things.

"I thought we were going to Pirate's Cove?" Charlotte asked as she slung her book bag on and picked up her guitar case. Alaine put on her bag and decided to carry the two sleeping bags.

"We are! You see that cliff over there?" Alaine pointed out. In her direction was a rocky cliff with boulders at the bottom. Charlotte's eyes caught the waves hitting most of the rocks.

"Yeah..." Charlotte trailed.

"Well, on the other side of that cliff is a secluded beach. _**THAT**_ , my dear girl, is Pirate's Cove. It's just an 8-9 minute walk over there, plus we get free privacy! Cool huh?" Alaine asked excitedly. Charlotte spied the waves at the bottom of the cliffs hitting the boulders harshly. **  
**

 _Yeah, it would be if I planned on exposing my tail to everyone,_ Charlotte thought, _and I don't._

What Alaine said was easier said than done. The whole point of being a mermaid is to keep it a secret. And the reason mermaids can't touch water is to avoid sprouting a tail! Sure her boots help keep the water from coming onto her unlike sneakers, but there's no way she'll be able to climb the boulders with her stuff, especially if they're wet.

"So that's where we're staying tonight?" Charlotte asked skeptically.

Alaine nodded. "Yep," she said, then looked at the others, "and by the looks of it, everyone's ready. So...let's head out girls!"

Following Alaine's lead, everyone started walking towards the beach. Charlotte internally groaned as she unlocked Thomas from her bike and put his leash on him before following behind the group.

Charlotte decided to walk behind the others, occasionally nodding and making small comments. she had a good idea of how she was going to avoid getting wet and which powers to use.

When they got to the boulders, Alaine wasted no time jumping through the water to get to the secluded beach. One by one, each girl did their best to dodge the waves but unfortunately got soaked.

Well, not Charlotte.

When the last girl had gone across, Charlotte looked around to make sure no one was then worked her magic. No pun intended.

She put down her guitar case and raised her hand towards the water in a claw-like gesture. She twisted it a few times and watched as the waves started to respond by becoming less aggressive and then, with one more twist, the waves stopped beating against the boulders and were now calm as it went up and down the sand.

Next, she widened her hand in a cupping gesture and slowly raised it in the direction of the water. It slowly started to form a hard pathway, hard enough to walk on.

Grinning to herself, she dropped her hand and picked up her guitar case again and, with Thomas by her side, carefully stepped onto the path.

At first, she started walking on a slow pace, but when she felt the wind blew hard and noticed that the waves were starting to pick up, she picked up her pace until she finally made it to the other she got off the pathway, Charlotte turned around to see it turn back into saltwater.

Looks like her new powers can come in handy.

When Charlotte reached the others, they had already changed into their swimwear and were already splashing and playing around in the water.

On the sandy part of the beach, the girls had already settled down and rolled out their sleeping bags and had made them form a big circle. It surprised her to see that Alaine had unrolled both of their sleeping bags and found her laying on her bag, sunbathing.

"I hope you are wearing sunscreen because it would be a shame if you burned up, " Charlotte said as she walked towards Alaine. Knowing Thomas wouldn't run away, she took off his leash placed her guitar case down, and took off her book bag as she sat down beside her friend.

Alaine made a face. "Girl, this tan can make anyone feel and look good. So what took you so long? Everyone unpacked already."

Charlotte gave a fake shrug. "I decided to wait it out since I didn't want to get wet."

"Wet? You don't even have a drop of water on you except for the bottom of your boots!" Alaine exclaimed.

" _Anyways_ ," Charlotte continued, changing the subject, "how come you're not out in the water with the others?"

"I sort of prefer pool water. I know it's stupid, but every time I try to go swimming at the beach, my skin gets a little tingle and I start to feel a pull in my guts. Don't get me wrong! I love the beach, but when I feel that way, I stay away from the water. At the local pools, I don't feel that way," Alaine explained.

This was new information for Charlotte. Being a mermaid herself at the moment, she was getting all types of feels to go jump into the water. But she learned to keep it at bay.

"Well, I don't know about saltwater, but the pull you feel from the ocean could probably be a good thing. It means that you're at peace and home. You shouldn't be afraid of it. Instead, you should embrace it. I mean, aren't you a good swimmer?" Charlotte asked.

"Are you kidding me? I put the Dolphin Kick technique to shame! I mean, I'm a really good swimmer, but I'd rather help the environment if I had the choice," Alaine said. Charlotte noticed how her eyes lit up as she spoke.

"Hmm, maybe I'll get to see you swim one day," Charlotte said with a smile

"Maybe."

* * *

After 3 hours of fun and games, a few of the girls had gathered some rocks, leaves, and sticks to build a fire.

And Charlotte may or may not have used her powers to start it.

Now, it was sunset and everyone was sitting around the campfire, eating s'mores that one of the girls brought along and were laughing and joking with each other.

"I'm telling you, he wet his pants that night and didn't even realize it until he came down for breakfast the next day!" Dominique cracked as she was telling embarrassing stories about her brother.

By now, all the girls' sides hurt because of how hard they were laughing.

"Alright, alright. Let's settle down now, we're all getting tired and soon we all need to get some sleep," Alaine said to calm everyone down. it worked and all of them laid down on their sleeping bags.

One of the girls noticed that Charlotte was drawing something in her journal and said: "Hey, what's ya drawing?"

Charlotte looked up in surprise. Instead of saying anything, she revealed her drawings to the others. It was a sunset with a face on it. She had hardly painted in a while, so to be able to draw gave her a little comfort.

"I didn't know you could draw," Dominique said. "What else can you do? Sing?"

Alaine snorted. "Sing? She practically my archnemesis in the choir!"

Charlotte blushed. She didn't like all the attention.

"Sorry Alaine, but I prefer the terms "friendly rivalry" to describe it," Charlotte corrected. Alaine stuck her tongue out at her.

"Very mature Al."

Ria spotted Charlotte's guitar and suggested "Well _Charlotte,_ why don't you play something for us? Are you as good as Alaine gloats about?"

She didn't know how, But Charlotte could tell that Ria was trying to make her feel uncomfortable on purpose. Being around Rikki so long gave her those vibes.

"Um sure, I mean if you want me to..." Charlotte trailed as she put her journal down and took her guitar out of the case. Then, she looked through her journal and found a song that she wrote while she was bored one day.

With her guitar in hand, she started playing the chords and began to sing.

**_Maybe I'm grey_ **

**_Maybe I'm blue_ **   
**_lately, I don't know what to do_ **   
**_Don't be afraid of knowing me_ **   
**_Of seeing what your eyes can t see_ **

**_What I am thinking_ **   
**_What's inside, I've got nothing to hide_ **

**_Undress my heart_ **   
**_Let it go naked_ **   
**_I'm not ashamed_ **   
**_I'm not gone fake it_ **   
**_I will reveal_ **   
**_Everything I feel_ **   
**_What you to see every part_ **   
**_Of my naked heart_ **

**_Maybe there's time_ **   
**_Maybe there's none_ **   
**_Maybe you should wait until I'm done_ **   
**_How can we lose_ **   
**_It's our fate_ **   
**_Uncover me before it's too late_ **

**_What are you thinking_ **   
**_What's inside, I've got nothing to hide_ **

**_Unchain my mind_ **   
**_Release my soul_ **   
**_Undo the hurt_ **   
**_Make my whole_ **   
**_I'm no the one to stop you_ **   
**_Once you start_ **

Everyone looked up at her in surprise. Everyone, except for Alaine, didn't expect Charlotte to be _**that** _good.

"Well?" Charlotte asked expectantly. Everyone was staring at her with their mouths open and it was starting to freak her out a little.

Recovering from her shock, Ria scowled and didn't talk for the remainder of the night.

For the next 3 hours, the girls constantly danced and sang along to songs they had requested Charlotte to play. It was actual, real fun for Charlotte since the volleyball game, but it was going to be a full moon soon and if she was going to find that moon pool, she had to do it alone, except Thomas.

By 10 o'clock, the fun finally stopped and everyone was tucked away in their sleeping bags, snoozing away, except for Charlotte and the two were in their own little world as they quietly talked to each other while the others slept.

"You know, you never told me how you met Tessa and Willow. I mean, you're so sweet and they...are not so much. How were you even friends with them?" Charlotte asked Alaine. She glanced at Thomas, who was snoozing away, but she knew she'd have to wake him up early.

"Girl, I don't even know. We met on our first day of high school. We met on our first day of high school. We were pretty much freshmen entering the 'Belly of the Beast'. I met Tessa when I got lost while looking for my 1st period. She saw me and, since we had that class together, she helped me out. Then, at lunch, she introduced me to Willow. From what they told me, they've been friends since they were in diapers," Alaine explained, "and they took me under their wings. We would have sleepovers together, go shopping, talk to cute boys, the whole thing!

I honestly don't know what changed.

Then, they have the nerve to tell me that the real reason they dropped me was to see if I'd stay 'loyal' to them. They pretty much tried to see if I'd find new friends after hurting me and still return to them! And to be honest, I'm glad I have you. You wouldn't hurt someone you cared about."

Charlotte highly doubts that. "You don't mean that."

Alaine nodded. "I do. Maybe you feel that way because those girls broke something in your head or something, but you don't hurt the people you care about."

"You don't get it! I pretty much made their lives a living hell. Especially one of them, who I did and sad many unforgivable things too, bullied them and harassed them. Trust me, I'm not like what you think I am," Charlotte confessed.

Alaine looked at her for a moment then grabbed her hand.

"Well, if I know any better, you are completely different from the girl you're telling me about. Because I know one thing for sure: If you weren't put on this earth to save the world or anything else, you were born to be someone's best friend. My best friend.

To be honest, if you truly were like that last year, then they must have done something to push you. No bad guy is created out of nowhere. Someone had to hurt to make you hurt and sometimes the way to stop that hurt is to ask for forgiveness," Alaine said.

Charlotte was surprised that Alaine considered her as her "best friend" and pondered on what she said.

"Will you forgive Willow and Tessa for what they did?" she asked.

Alaine nodded. "Maybe not now, because the pain still hurts, but I will eventually. Maybe the next time you see those girls, you can forgive each other for whatever happened, whether it's over being like them or just plain dating an ex-boyfriend."

Charlotte chuckled and smiled at Alaine. If only she knew that it wasn't that simple...

* * *

After a few minutes, Alaine finally went to sleep.

Now it was time for Charlotte to put her plan into action.

She had pulled her backpack close to her and pulled out her flashlight and slowly crawled out of her sleeping bag. She had a feeling she was going to need it. Then, she started to wake up her dog.

"Thomas...Thomas...THOMAS!" she screamed/whispered.

Thomas's eyes popped open and sat straight up. He knew what she needed.

Charlotte scanned the area to make sure everyone was fast asleep before slowly getting on her feet and walking rocky walls of the beach. Thomas followed her.

He went ahead and started sniffing around. Then, after a few minutes, he halted and stopped sniffing. Charlotte looked around and realized that this was the place where the tunnel opened up in her dreams.

Instantly, there was a huge pull in her guts and she looked up at the night sky.

Before her glory was the full moon, and like in her dreams, it was glowing brightly! Charlotte had to force herself to shield her eyes and turn her head away. It may have been her dream that allowed her to see the light, but in reality, it could make her go blind.

When she was ready, Charlotte opened her eyes and looked in shock as the rocky wall that was once there was now a tunnel. Then, she looked down at Thomas, only to see that he wasn't there and only his footprints in the sand were leading into the tunnel.

"Oh boy," Charlotte said as she turned on her flashlight before walking in.

The light helped as she started walking alone. Part of her was anxious to get this whole ordeal over with. She could practically feel her heart beating out of her chest rapidly. But another part of her felt...calm? Well, she would have to think about that later.

WOOF!

Hearing Thomas bark, Charlotte stopped walking and ran through the tunnel. If something bad happened to him, she would never forgive herself.

When Charlotte finally got to the end of the tunnel, she swore her heart stopped and dropped her flashlight.

She couldn't believe it.

Right in front of Charlotte, as clear as day, was a GIANT, crystal blue pool. And it was bubbling fast.

Everything was the same: the circular rocky walls, the thousand of sparkling blue crystals glowing from within them...and the huge opening in the ceiling with the moon starting to rise over the 100 ft moon pool.

The pull Charlotte had felt earlier was getting bigger and stronger by the minute as she unconsciously started walking towards the pool.

She watched as the bubbles that submerged from the pool increased at a rapid pace. Each step strengthens the pull inside of her, the burning desire to jump in increased.

...

**WOOF!**

Something snapped in Charlotte's head as her eyes popped open and, missing her step, slipped and fell to the ground.

Ouch!

She sat up and turned to her right to see Thomas standing next to her. And by the look in his eyes, he was relieved.

"What was that for!?" Charlotte exclaimed. Thomas turned his head towards the pool and she looked in his direction and saw why he did it in surprise.

She was 3 steps off from jumping in the pool. And he stopped her just in time.

Bless that dog!

"Wow..." a familiar voice said from behind her. Too familiar...

Charlotte snapped her head around, looked behind her, and got scared for who she saw.

Alaine.

Like lightning, Charlotte quickly got on her feet and ran to Alaine's side with Thomas by her side.

"What are you doing here?!" Charlotte asked frantically. She truly cared about Alaine, but if she jumped into the moon pool and became a mermaid...the thought terrified her.

"Easy. I woke up to find you and Thomas gone and a tunnel suddenly appeared out of, being the curious little bee I am, I got up and came in," Alaine said to her eyes now on the pool," and I don't regret it."

Charlotte recognized the look on Alaine's face. If this moon pool gave off some mesmerizing feel that could affect Alaine as it did her, then Charlotte officially needs to get her out of here.

" _Now, why would you want to do that?_ " a creepy yet familiar voice echoed through the cave. Charlotte felt a shiver run down her spine with the knowledge of who that exact voice belonged to.

Marana.

Charlotte looked back at Alaine, but she didn't seem phased. Her eyes were still glued to the moon pool.

" _There's nothing wrong with letting her be like you. You say she doesn't understand the ordeals you went through, right? So let her. I'm sure your time together would go...swimmingly,"_ Marana said.

Charlotte looked back at Alaine, now sure that Marana put her under some type of trance to keep her from hearing them.

Like the dream with her and the girls being friends, it did sound tempting. And easy. Alaine would know the **actual** truth of what happened and she wouldn't be alone with her secret...

Charlotte stepped out of the way and let Alaine slowly walk past her and started walking towards the moon pool.

Alaine already called her a best friend. And best friends do everything together...maybe it was for the best...

" _Yes, let her enter the moon pool..._ " Marana said.

Once again, Charlotte got lost in a trance and watched as Alaine got closer...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

**WWWWWWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOFFFFFFFFFFFF!**


	23. The Unexpected Aftermath

* * *

**September 20th, 2009...**

_**At Paradise Cove...** _

**Charlotte's POV**

Have you ever been cursed out before when someone was angry at you?

For me, yes. Plenty of times actually, though I won't say when.

But have you ever been cursed out by an immortally-vowed mermaid in Dolphin Tongue?

That's a new one, even for me. And a slightly horrifying experience that I won't even dare want to repeat!

So here I was, in the back of the Paradise Cafe, sitting on the couch in the back office, facing the wrath of the Cove family.

Mainly Laguna.

See, after all the girls woke up this morning, we all packed our stuff and decided to leave. Alaine had no memory of what happened in the cave, except for seeing the tunnel. Once we got on our bikes and hit the road, I split from the group, and Thomas and I headed towards Paradise Cove.

It took a short 16 minutes to get there, but once I got to the cafe parking lot, I parked my bike and let Thomas onto the beach.

I know that was against the law, but I hoped I can get Laguna to change it.

Anyways, as I entered the cafe, I was spotted by Karen, who for some reason was wearing a coat and sniffling. She came waddling towards me.

"Charlotte!" she said as she embraced me, "what happened to you? You had me and my mother worried when you didn't show up for training yesterday, and I had to take an ice bath, made by my mother, to keep your location a secret! What happened?!"

Well, that explained to me why she looked like that. Karen was fighting a cold.

"Long story, but let's just say I spoke to my 'sister' and got this!" I said as I pulled a blue crystal from my pocket and handed it to Karen. She took it in her hand and almost dropped it.

I guess she could feel the power radiating from it.

She gave me back the crystal and didn't hesitate to rush me into the back office...right to Laguna.

So here I am, sitting right in front of my mentor, hearing nothing but dolphin noises coming out of her mouth, which was direct towards me. At first, I thought she had some recorder on her and that's where the noise was coming from, but after looking and listening closely, I realized that it was truly coming from her. Yikes!

Karen was giving me a look between amusement and pity, Jonathan was glaring at me as usual, and Brendan looked like he was going to burst with laughter. I'm glad someone's finding this amusing.

Eventually, Laguna had calmed down enough and started talking human English.

"Charlotte Watsford, what were you thinking?! Do you have any idea how worried I was?! It wasn't fair that I had to give my pregnant daughter an ice bath against her will to weasel out your whereabouts only for her to get sick, tear my hair out with worry, and constantly use my powers to make things to put my frustrations upon! Now you have 1 minute to tell me where you were or I swear I'll..."Laguna trailed. But before she could finish that sentence, I pulled out the crystal I had shown Karen earlier and by the look on Laguna's face, it had said it all.

I had found my moon pool.

"I'm not ungrateful nor am I selfish, Laguna," I said, "but my day out with my friends was really my mission to find the moon pool. Only once I did, I almost let my 'sister' convince me to let my best friend be turned into a mermaid last night. So here's the long version of what happened..."

_**Flashback...** _

_I stood in a trance as I watched Alaine walked towards the moon pool. Marana had a point. It would be much easier if Alaine was like me._

_After all, I had lied to her multiple times and I could finally be able to tell her my ugly truths about me. If she truly was my best friend, she would accept me for who I was._

_A girl with way too many secrets to handle. A girl who's done many bad things in a short period in a year. A girl who will most likely do damage to others without intending to._

_I watched her step closer and closer towards the pool, getting ready to let herself become like me..._

_**WWWWWWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOFFFFFFFFFFFF**!_

_Something snapped in my head and I was once again brought out of my trance. I shook my head and rubbed the temples on my forehead._

_What was going on?_

_I looked at Thomas, who was looking at me like I was crazy and was barking in the direction in front of me. I looked at his direction and my eyes widened as I saw Alaine just inches from the jumping into the moon pool._

_Without thinking, I raised both of my hands in the air in Alaine's direction, and, like Laguna taught me, I brought her up into the air._

_This was like what I did to the girls in Australia when I rose them from the ground and dropped them from five feet in the air. Bad memory!_

_Alaine wasn't moving. She was just hanging there. So, I assumed that she was either unconscious or she just was too deep in a trance._

_I looked up at the moon and saw that it was starting to go away. Good, but wouldn't that mean..._

_I felt the ground rumble from beneath me and I knew I had to place Alaine down gently. So, I moved her away from the pool and brought her close enough and laid her down gently. At that moment, I rushed to her side to see that she was indeed unconscious._

_So, I picked her up from the ground and swung her arms around my shoulder so I could carry her._

" _ **What are you doing? Isn't this what you wanted? For her to be like you? Someone to understand and accept you?"**_ _I heard Marana's voice echo. God, I was going to need earplugs to block her out!_

" _NO! Even if that is true, what I am is more of a curse than a blessing! It may have some perks that I may be starting to learn to like again, it doesn't mean that someone else has to live like that. I'm talking about another girl's life-changing drastically to fit **my** needs!" I said. "And I refuse to let you make the choice for me!"_

_I felt the ground shake from beneath me and I knew I had to get Alaine and Thomas out of here._

_"Thomas come on!" I yelled as I started towards the tunnel with Alaine. I heard my dog bark and his feet coming towards me._

_" **You will regret this...** " Marana said, her voice echoing, causing the ceiling to shake. I looked up and saw rocks beginning to fall to the ground and I knew I had to leave when boulders started falling._

_"Let's get out of here!" I yelled and started into the tunnel._

_Instantly, the cave collapsed entirely above them. The moon pool began to sink into the earth, possibly deeper if possible, the cave wall started to crack up and then fall to the ground, leaving dust and rubble in its place. And in the cave ceiling, with the moon already far away from the center, started to close in._

_With Alaine on my back, carrying her to the exit was a little tough, but being buried under a pile of rocks was what drove me to keep going._

_"Mmmm..." I heard my friend moan beside me. My eyes widened as I stopped in my Alaine woke up..._

_I was minutes away from lifting my head and praying to whoever was a higher up in heaven. She could_ **not** _remember this, like at all! Plus, I don't even know how I'm supposed to explain this to her when she wakes up._

_Depending on if she wakes up that is..._

_I mentally shook that thought out of her head and continued dragging (and I use that term loosely) Alaine through the tunnel as I felt the tunnel shaking. I looked behind me and saw Thomas running towards me. And behind him, the tunnel was falling in right behind him!_

_"If there's a God...I hate my life..." I muttered as I picked up my pace. I picked up Alaine and was now practically carrying her. My eyes went to see Thomas running by my side._

_I saw the exit up ahead as I and I jumped as the collapsing tunnel was catching up to us. I was doing a mental countdown until I got out._

_10..._

_9..._

_8..._

_7..._

_6..._

_5..._

_4..._

_3..._

_2..._

_1..._

_"JUMP!" I exclaimed as we jumped out of the exit and landed on the sand. I looked to my side to see Thomas breathing heavily beside me and check on Alaine, to see that she was still unconscious. I turned around to the tunnel and watched as the collapsed and turned back into the rocky wall that it was before._

_"Great, just great, now how am I going to get proof of that place?" I asked to myself. The mega moon pool goes to Self-Destruct Mode when the moon passes over. Clever, but deadly. Great..._

_I picked up Alaine and carried her back to our campsite. I looked around to see that the girls were undisturbed by the events of what had just happened. Almost like they never felt or heard anything at all. I was starting to consider that they were under the veil that my mother was under the night of the Water-Snake._

_I placed Alaine back into her sleeping bag and zipped it back up. I went back to my sleeping bag and laid down in it as I thought of what just happened:_

_-My moon pool was not an ordinary, small moon pool. It was a mega moon pool large enough to turn a team of football players into mermen, and possibly even larger._

_-It was as attractive like a magnet. Even a completely, normal person could be drawn to jump in it. It was so easy to feel tempted._

_-And the big one: It was under Marana's full control. Or at least, to the point where she can put me and other people in a trance._

_I saw Thomas lie next to me and I gently rubbed his right ear._

_"Thomas, what am I going to do?" I whispered to him, "I could have gotten any evidence to give to Laguna to show that I didn't skip training for nothing and apologize for not telling her. What now?"_

_Thomas raised his head and, despite the dim light, I saw something sparkling from his mouth._

_"What's that you got there, boy?" I asked._

_He dropped the item onto my lap and I got a hold to it. Though it was the reaction I was not prepared for._

_It was an oval, blue crystal. It was about the size of my palm, but something was different about it. I felt a large mass of energy coming from the crystal, but just like the cave, it was giving off a bad vibe, almost ...wicked._

_I dropped the crystal onto the sand, and like that, the feeling was gone._

_I looked at Thomas, who was looking at me exceptionally, and said "I owe you for stopping me back there, don't I?"_

_In response, he whined and licked my cheek. I'll take that as a: Yes._

**_Flashback ends..._ **

"...and that's how I got out of the cave. The next morning, Alaine woke up and told me about her dream of how she walked through a tunnel and saw a sparkling, blue pool. I quickly dismissed it as a dream, though I think she's onto me," I concluded.

By now, the whole family was staring at me with wide eyes. Honestly, I wouldn't have cared if they believed me, but the point is that Marana built a pool that she could lure anyone into and I am living proof of that.

Laguna was the first to snap out of it. She reached into her pocket, pulled out a set of keys, and gave it to Jonathan.

"You. Get the boat!" Laguna commanded. "You're going to watch Charlotte and _you_ ," she said to Brendan, "are going to be Charlotte's exercise teacher for the day."

Jonathan, no surprise, glared at Laguna. "I will not play babysitter for these two juveniles! And why do I have to watch them anyway? The only reason I came here was that Karen was sick because of the ice bath **_you_** gave her because _**she,**_ " he pointed to me, "decided to skip out on you!"

"She did that because she wanted to be sure the moon pool was real!" Karen defended me. "And last I check:

1.) I can take care of myself.

2.) You know Mother would have done the same thing if she had the vision.

And 3.) You're supposed to have a day off today and since you are here, you have to do it!"

I jumped up, confused at what was going on.

"I'm sorry, what am I supposed to do and why does it require Brendan being my exercise teacher or something?" I interjected.

Karen was giving me a skeptic look while Brendan was looking oddly excited.

* * *

**3rd POV (written by Return to Neverland!)**

Jonathan ordered Charlotte and Brendan to meet him at the pier while he went to get the Cove's boat that was docked nearby. Charlotte begrudgingly obliged to the command before making her way to the end of the pier with Brendan, still unsure as to what they were doing.

While making her way to the end of the pier accompanied by Brendan, she could also hear the distant padding of paws on the wooden planks that made up the pier. Along with the distant barking of Thomas calling out, in Charlotte's mind, this meant for her to slow down and wait for him.

Charlotte then glanced back to see the pitbull with racing towards them with his tongue flying out his mouth, the sight making Charlotte chuckle slightly before she turned her attention back to Brendan to ask him for the sixth time since exacting the restaurant, what exactly it was that they were going to be doing.

Brendan still held the excited look he wore since finding out that his talents would be needed for the first time since the Coves took Charlotte under their wing, helping and honing the newly changed Charlotte's mermaid skills.

Though they were aware of her time as a mermaid previously, it seemed that the mermaids who resided in Australia did not exactly help her properly hone her mermaid potently, leaving Charlotte out in the cold and having abused her powers because she didn't know her strength this lead to the premature loss of her mermaid powers, but the Coves' did not use this against her they embraced who she was and accepted it, all except Jonathan.

Whose voice could now be heard crying out to the two teens who had just reached the end of the pier with Thomas now in tow?

"Hurry it along, I haven't got all day to babysit!" Jonathan yelled venom lacing each word, as he steered the boat closer to the pier.

Charlotte and Brendan both turned to each other, giving each other a " _He's-such-an-ass_ " look, before Brendan's smile returned and he winked at Charlotte before he gave himself a running start and bomb dived right next to Jonathan's boat, creating a huge splash which soaked Jonathan in the process.

Charlotte wasn't sure how she held the laughter in but knew if she were to laugh then, who knew what Jonathan would do. So she simply smiled and Jonathan shot her the Evil Eye before Brendan rose out of the water and Jonathan sent all his anger towards him.

Charlotte then took this momentary distraction to tell Thomas to sit and stay until she got back, knowing that he would do exactly that before she turned to the ocean and dived in much more gracefully than Brendan had, he then waited for the change to take place before she made her way over to Brendan in mermaid form.

"Get ready for Mermaid Boot Camp! Today, I'll be your trainer. Now drop and give me twenty! Move, move, MOVE!" Brendan yelled at her in a commando voice before dropping the facade and giving her a cheeky grin.

Charlotte then gave him an eye roll, before she heard Jonathan booming voice scolding them.

"Brendan, this is not a joke! What she did was stupid and reckless, not to mention she could have exposed your mother and you! Now tell the girl what her punishment for such acts of stupidity is!" he said, not bothering to even refer to Charlotte as an actual human being, but just as a thorn that was stuck to his side.

Brendan gave his stepfather the Evil Eye before informing Charlotte as to what they were doing, finally answering the question she had been asking since leaving the restaurant, but she was not happy with what the answer was.

"We're doing drills, Charlotte. Well, you are and I will be instructing. We will swim out past where the beachgoers are allowed to swim out too, and I will teach you to exercise drills, mermaid style."

"That's ridicules. You have got to be joking," Charlotte expressed with a laugh, waiting for Brendan to break the act at any moment, but he didn't.

"You're not joking," Charlotte's moaned, and her face fell.

"I'm afraid not," Brendan replied.

"Really?!" Charlotte whined.

"So let's get a move on before the grump in the boat gets any angrier, and trust me, he can," Brendan stated.

"Let's get this over with then," Charlotte said. She had a feeling that it was going to be a long day.

* * *

As soon as they had started their drills, Charlotte was over it. Though she had gotten fitter since joining the softball team, slimmed down and become much fitter than she was, softball was one thing and mermaids drills, well, they were a completely different story.

You would think it would be easier to do seeing as they were underwater but that was not the case. It took a lot of strength to swim with a tail and though at times it seemed as easy breathing, it took a lot of effort at times especially when doing drills. Brendan had her diving down as far as she could go, making sure that she reached her maximum limits, before allowing her to return to the surface and oxygen. He then had her practicing different types of swimming styles such as water cycles, where he would have Charlotte do underwater somersaults until she was dizzy or couldn't hold her breath much longer.

Charlotte was made to do another number of underwater swim training until she couldn't take anymore and once again made her way to the surface.

"Okay, okay, okay..." Charlotte panted as she gasped for breath once she reached the surface of the water, doing the Little Mermaid style of flinging of her brown hair back as she took in the precious air.

Not two seconds later, Brendan joined her as he took a less exasperated breath.

"Brendan, I know I'm a mermaid and all, and I can breathe underwater, but do you want me to die?!" Charlotte gasped, once the air had returned to her lungs.

Brendan then gave her a look of apology before he looked over at his stepfather in the boat not ten feet away from where they were. Then, he turned his attention back on Charlotte.

"I'm sorry Charlotte, really I am. You know I wouldn't be doing this if it wasn't for peeping Jon over there," Brendan apologized.

Charlotte then let out a laugh at his choice in phrasing, because as soon as they had started on her training, Charlotte was planning her escape. That was until Brendan informed her that Jonathan would be keeping an eye on them through the use of an underwater camera that had been hooked to the bottom of his boat and was connected to the iPad he had brought with him, thus preventing them from escaping his gaze.

"I know it's not your fault. I know you wouldn't be this cruel to me on purpose, would you?" Charlotte asked, raising a questioning eyebrow at Brendan.

Brendan then let out a laugh before replying "No, I wouldn't. My step-dad, well, he's another story."

"Oh well. I suppose that if we can't escape him, we better get back to you killing me," Charlotte stated with a laugh.

Then, a devilish grin spread across Brendan's face as he looked at Charlotte, then back to his step dad's boat, then back at Charlotte again.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Charlotte asked before realization hit her. "No Brendan don't! I'm already in trouble and I don't want to make it worse, and bring you down with me!"

Brendan just smiled at her, before Jonathan's voice rang out.

"What are you two doing? Get back to your drills!"

They both looked over to the angry man's face before turning back to each other.

Brendan then gave Charlotte a look before saying "Leave it to me," and asking her to begin her water cycles again.

They both dived down into the ocean and Charlotte started her water cycles. Meanwhile, Brendan dived down under the boat out of view of the camera, then with all the force he could muster, he slammed his tail into the camera shattering it while making sure not to damage the boat too bad so his stepfather could be able to get back home.

Brendan then speed swam over towards Charlotte, grabbed her arm while she was mid-somersault, and shot out into the open ocean as far as their tails could take them before finally stopping for air.

Both Charlotte and Brendan rose to the surface and looked at each other in silence until they both started bursting out laughing.

"I c-can't b-believe you d-did that! W-we are g-going t-to be in s-so much t-trouble!" Charlotte managed to say through fits of laughter.

"I k-know b-but it w-was w-worth it!"Brendan replied while, like Charlotte, was struggling to speak through the laughter.

Then once the laughter faded they managed to gin all be able to speak.

"Jonathan is going to be so pissed," Charlotte said, fear starting to replace the joy that had once been there.

"Who cares!? I can handle him," Brendan replied.

"You may be able to. But as you might already know he and I aren't really on the best of terms, for some reason unknown to me, and this little stunt will only harden the hatred he has for me," Charlotte explained.

"Who cares about him at the moment. Just loosen up a little bit because there's more to being a mermaid than stupid drills," Brendan stated.

"Yeah? Like what?" Charlotte asked.

"You know for someone who has been a mermaid before, you don't know much about being one," Brendan replied.

Charlotte's face fell at the mention of her old life, remembering those painful memories as they flooded into her mind for however breath a moment before she turned to attention back to Brendan.

"Well I wasn't one for very long, and even though I was with other mermaids, I was alone and didn't want help. I thought I could get through it on my own so I shut them out when they tried to help and they did try to help me one point, but it only because they were asked and well, I was too consumed in my selflessness to help myself," Charlotte explained.

Brendan was a bit taken back to Charlotte confession but he didn't judge her and knew that she wasn't that person anymore. She was his friend now.

"Well you are not alone now," Brendan informed Charlotte, who then gave him a thanking smile.

"Thank you. It's just that I had to figure it all out by myself the first time I learned how to control my powers and everything. I was by myself then," Charlotte said

"Being a mermaid, or in my case, a merman, isn't just about powers. There is so much more," Brendan explained. She needed to see what an average, natural mermaid saw.

"Like what?" Charlotte asked.

"Let me show you," Brendan replied. He then outstretched hand to Charlotte implying for her to take it, but she just looked at his had like it was a foreign object.

"Come on, just take it," Brendan said.

Charlotte was hesitant but she took his hand and he smiled at her before both submerged into the water and swam slowly deeper into the open ocean.

Brendan then stopped Charlotte and looked into her eyes before gesturing for her to close them, which Charlotte obliged to Brendan, then tapped on her ears which she took as opening her ears to the ocean around her and letting the ocean tell her where to go.

A couple of minutes passed until Charlotte heard a sound, like that of singing she opened her eyes to see two giant whales just in front of her close enough to touch. It was the most beautiful sight she had ever seen, a smile spread across her face as she took in the sight I front of her, before turning to face Brendan who had the same smile placid on his face, with his hands still intertwined in hers, they then turned their attention back to the whales floating there until they finally passed by them while still singing their song.

And it was in this moment, however brief it was, that Charlotte thought that even though she was a reincarnated mermaid whose sister was after her, maybe this wasn't a curse. Maybe this was a gift like another start over to become who she was meant to be, whoever that was, at this moment she was a mermaid a part of the sea and tomorrow she might come to her senses and realize that she didn't deserve this and she would have to face what Marana had in store for her. But for now, she was free.

* * *

A few hours passed after the daring escape. By the time they got back to the beach, they had swum to the end of the beach and crawled behind some boulders to avoid being seen by anyone.

"This won't last long," Charlotte said as she laid on the sand. "I think Thomas is self-trained to recognize my scent from a given distance. Hell, even in my mermaid form, he could find me in a mile from here!"

Brendan laughed. "Haha! Was he trained by the military or something?"

"Nope. In exchange for giving him a home, he'll be there for me to help me keep my secret," she replied. "I swear he trained himself to find me and help me at every given chance he gets. He's never abandoned me, and I would do the same for him."

He just looked at her. "Man, that's deep."

Once they were sure that they were alone, Charlotte closed both of her hands into a fist and started to dry her's and Brendan's tails.

"As much as it stings, thanks for the drying. It's **_extremely_** helpful!" Brendan exclaimed.

"Yeah, but like a certain mermaid in Queensland that I knew, this power can make anything hot and potentially kill someone, especially the upgrade powers. So, I try to only use this power unless it's needed," Charlotte said.

After a few minutes, their tails disappeared and they were back in their original clothes.

"Great! Now, all I have to do is get Thomas, grab my bike, and get the hell out of here before I get stopped by He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named," Charlotte said sarcastically as she got on her feet and helped Brendan up.

"Should have figured you were the Harry Potter type of girl. Riley's been going on and on about how you were a Twilight type of girl," Brendan chuckled.

Charlotte did a whiplash and eyed the boy carefully. "What are you talking about?"

"Easy. Riley has an obvious crush on you. You didn't notice?" Brendan asked.

To be honest, Charlotte never saw it as a crush. It was more like "Guy-Hits-On-Girl-In-The-Wrong-Ways". No attraction, at least now, but just a thin line between being friends with him and disliking the guy. Seriously, she hasn't even spoken to him in a while. What type of friends was they?

"Easy. He made me mad and had the nerve to ask me out before he even got a chance to know me. Of course, I turned him down."

Brendan made a look. "No wonder he's got his eyes on you. You don't want him!"

" _ **Oh** ,_ he's basically after me to...wait a second! I am NOT talking about my love life to a little kid!" Charlotte said astonishingly.

"Hey! This kid is about 13-14 years old and I know what I'm talking about. Believe it or not, I nearly convinced my folks into letting Riley in on our big secret, but of course, my step-dad had to open his mouth and now, the only guy that I can get along with is practically clueless about me!"

"I'm sorry, but from what I hear, _ **you**_ have a crush on him!" Charlotte stated. "Now if you excuse me, I gotta run!"

Turning her back to him, she pulled her hand to her chest, which rendered herself invisible and walked away.

* * *

**Charlotte's POV**

I'm so mad, I could scream! It's bad enough Riley had to blab his mouth about me to Brendan, who probably told his mom about it, who might have told Laguna. Now, he's stereotyping me! And just because I like to read doesn't mean that I'm OBSESSED with them, especially the pairings!

First off, my decision not to date is still active and I just don't want to get involved with anybody. Trust me, my pride was gone for a while and my insecurities were just starting to die down a little.

Secondly, I have way too much on my plate to even be thinking about dating. I have evil, little visions that can pop up into my head at any moment, have a tail and powers that, despite getting back into the routine, that I don't want, and most importantly, my life is in danger because of me being a mermaid in the first place!

Sometimes, I really regret not begging my mom to stay in Atlanta.

And now, not that I'm angry about it, I have to apologize to Brendan. It was low of me to say. And I have said some pretty low things before.

I came out of my thoughts and looked around at my surroundings. I didn't realize that I was walking towards the cafe. The smell of cooked seafood being served and desserts came to my nostrils and my mouth watered.

I honestly never smelled anything more delicious in my life, and with my mom being a chef, I've smelled a lot of things. Closing my eyes, I slowly started to walk towards the entrance when I suddenly ran into someone and fell onto the sand. I felt my hand drop and I was now visible again.

I looked up at who I ran into and as they say, "Speak of the Devil and the Devil appears".

It was Riley.


	24. What's A Mermaid To Do?

**Charlotte's POV**

Really? Out of all the guys I seem to attract around here, much to my displeasure, I have to run into the ONE guy I didn't want to see right now! I swear, if there's a god up there, he hates me right now.

Riley looks down at me for a moment before remembering his manners, like he has any, and helps me off the ground.

"Oh, hey Charlotte. How's your day?" he asks me with a smile. Oh, would he like to know...

Just then, all the anger I had towards Brendan went directly towards him!

"Well, let's see: I'm hiding from Laguna and Jonathan because I skipped work, I was forced to do some heavy lifting as my punishment, and last but not least...YOU TOLD BRENDAN THAT I WAS INTO TWILIGHT!" I screamed. I knew I probably just gave away my location to the Coves, mainly Jonathan, but I was too mad at Riley for this.

He paled in front of me, clearly signaling that he was caught. I considered using my powers on him as payback but I had to use my "Think About Australia" mantra to stop me.

"Now listen..." he started to say as he was backing away from me, but I cut him off.

"No! _YOU_ listen to me! I honestly don't know what your game is but I want no part of it!" I exclaim as I stalk towards him, "I mean, first, you act all nice, for a beach boy, then you go off and be a jerk to me not that long afterward! Next, you practically _pull_ me from my job to ask me to be friends with you and now you're acting like a jerk again! Honestly, what the hell is wrong with you!?"

Alright, I'll admit, I am **_waaaayyyy_** too close to using my powers on him! And if my business is on some worldwide poster, which it is NOT, he had no right to say anything at all!

"P-p-please let me explain what I meant! It wasn't for any crude purpose or anything, but-" he stammered until I cut him off again.

"Any crude purpose?! Brendan is the SON of my BOSS! Did it ever occur to you that he might tell them what I say?!" I exclaimed, "so what on Earth could have made you talk to him in the first place!"

"I wanted to ask you out on a date!" he said quickly.

That stopped me in my tracks, or at least what I was about to say next, which wasn't pretty.

There was silence between us, well as silent as it could get on a beach, and we just stared at each other. Riley, despite how hard he tried, was now blushing beet-red with his hand over his mouth. Probably shocked that those words came out of his mouth at all.

"Excuse me? Am I hearing right? Did you just say you went to Brendan to ask me out on a date?" I asked him, "please tell me this is some sick joke and not the real deal?"

I wasn't embarrassed. Shocked, yes, but not embarrassed. But I'll admit that aside from Jason's gang, back in Atlanta, there were at least 1 or 2 guys who asked me out only to see if I would say yes and laugh at me afterward.

Leading reason number 2 of why I don't want to date!

Riley seemed to have broken out of his embarrassment and realized what I just asked.

"What? No! That's not why I went to him! I swear, you two worked together, so I assumed that he would know a lot about you that I could say to get you to go out with me!" he said, "and I just happened to let it slip about the whole Twilight thing."

Now fully calm, I told him "And didn't I tell you that I have no interest in dating and we were only to be friends? Wait no! You practically _**begged**_ me to be friends with you and then you avoid me a while after! Seriously, who does that?"

"Someone who sits at the back of Math class and can't help but stare at you," he said, only to have his eyes widened again and cover his mouth. He only uncovered it to say "You did NOT hear that from me!"

"Well, too bad so sad, BadBoy! I told you once, and I'll tell you again: I will NOT go out with you! It was just pathetic of you to ask!" I yelled before covering my mouth.

Once again, the old me showed up.

Now it was Riley's turn to be mad. "Excuse me, I'm not pathetic! You should be glad I asked your bitchy-self out anyways!"

Now **THAT** struck a nerve there.

Realizing what he just said, he started to apologize. "I-I-I didn't mean it like that, I swear. God, I'm sorry I-"

Too late!

"Oh, you think _**I'm**_ the bitchy one? You've been off your rocker since the day we met, from nice to mean, to apologetic to jerk face, and now from a beggar to a complete asshole! No wonder they call you the "Heir"! You carry the aura of a spoiled prince!"

I felt no pain calling him the "Heir, but his reaction surprised me. I expected him to be mad, but instead, he looked like he let down his defenses. His arms slumped, his head down, and, for a second, I was worried about the change of posture.

"Y-y-you know about that?" he asked in a stutter. I honestly didn't think he had it in him.

"About you being called an "Heir"? Yeah, when I told my friend, Alaine, about how we met, she kind of filled me in on what your story was," I said, "I don't believe it, but your tough-guy act and bi-polar-ness now have me second-guessing."

Riley looked up at me with sad eyes, which now had me confused.

"I-I honestly didn't think you would find out about that," he said in a low voice.

"So what? This is the high school we're in. Stuff like that is bound to be found out. And why does that matter to you anyway? I assumed you were the type to ignore stuff like that."

He was now giving me an embarrassed look and to be honest, I was done with it.

"You know what? I am going to 1.) Stop wasting my patience with you and walk away and 2.) Pretend you don't exist for the rest of my life. Sound okay?"I asked in sarcasm.

Alright, now I am just being mean, but if he's going to keep playing these games with me, then he's not worth my time. But in my life, a lot can change.

I turned around and started walking away from him until I felt his hand grab me and spin me around until our faces were just inches apart. Would this be a bad time to slap him?

"Listen, I'm sorry okay! I know that probably doesn't mean much to you and I know that for a friendship to work, there needs to be communication and...I haven't done a good job at that," He admitted.

I pushed him away from me. Really? Communication? Friendship? Has he been talking to a parent or a therapist because he's off his rockers now?

I sighed. "Listen, I have to go. I should have left Paradise earlier but I had to make it up to Laguna for skipping work. Can we have this...conversation another time? I think this isn't the best place to talk and-"

"CCCCHHHHAAARRRLLLOOOTTTEEEE!"

Riley and I jumped and turned to see a raging, like Hulk-level raging, Jonathan marching towards them. OH GOD!

I looked to see Riley's head was still in Jonathan's direction and, though I **_know_** I'm going to get an earful for this, I grasped my hand in the air, turning myself invisible, and ran away like mad.

Just at that moment, I swear I heard Jonathan roar!

This will not end well for me...

I ran to the front of the cafe to see Thomas tied to a post near my bike, looking as miserable as ever, before ducking into the parking lot and became visible again behind a car. Then, I ran back to Thomas, untied him and re-tied him to the bike, put my helmet and pads on before hopping on and speed off the onto the road.

Boy, and I thought Laguna was mad earlier. Now, she'll kill me.

* * *

My mind must have been somewhere because I didn't remember the trip home until I came up my driveway. I hopped off the bike and untied Thomas as I pulled out my phone to call Alaine to tell her I made it home...in a sense. But first, I had to see my mother.

I opened the front door and said "Mom! I'm home!"

I was met with silence.

"MOM!"

It was still silent and I was starting to get worried. I went to the kitchen and found a note on the refrigerator. I took it off, opened it, and read:

_**Charlotte,** _

_**If you're reading this right now, then I know you're home and safe. I left the house for work today, despite it being a Sunday. Someone was out sick and I had to fill in. I might be home for dinner though.** _

_**I hope you and Alaine had a great time at your little get-together! I look forward to hearing about it when I get home.** _

_**Love you,** _

_**Mom** _

I sighed as I put the note on the counter.

Honestly, I love my mom but these were just the times when she wasn't home and it bugged me. Yes, she could be great and supportive at times but that doesn't mean it was nice to come home to an empty house. And then I thought about what happened to Alaine last night and it quickly brought me back to what Marana had said.

" _There's nothing wrong with letting her be like you. You say she doesn't understand the ordeals you went through, right?''_

I felt a shudder roll down my back as I remembered her that I think about it, they seemed more like a threat than a statement. But Alaine is my friend and my mom is my mother, meaning I have to protect them no matter what.

Sighing, I opened the refrigerator and grabbed two water bottles. I unscrewed the caps and poured one into Thomas's drinking bowl, much to his relief. I drunk the other one as I went into the living room and turned on the answering machine.

" **You have 1 voicemail** ," the machine said.

I figured that it was a bill collector or something and went to turn it off until I heard a familiar voice. _TOO familiar..._

**_"Charlotte! It's me..."_ **

LEWIS! It feels like ages since we last talked to each other.

_**"Sorry, if I haven't been available to you in a while but...let's just say the moon pool over here as been causing some problems. Speaking of which, how's it going over there? I think we need to talk. Bye."** _

" **Voicemail ended** ," the machine said.

Don't get me wrong, Lewis and I are JUST friends (or secret friends at best), but to hear from him, let's just say I raced to my bedroom and pulled out my computer.

I logged on and went to Skype and immediately started asking for him.

BING!

Just my luck, it was accepted and in 10 seconds, Lewis's face appeared on the screen.

"You do know that if my mom was the one to listen to the voice mail today, she would have grilled me on why you were calling," I said with a smirk on my face. Lewis rolled his eyes.

" _Haha, very funny Char. Now how are you doing?_ " he asked.

"Oh, pretty good! I just went to the mall with my friends yesterday, beat up a few goons with my powers to stop them from raping me and beating me up, went to the beach, saved my ONLY friend from becoming a mermaid and did mermaid drills as a punishment for skipping out on work. Nothing much. How about you?" I asked casually.

Lewis stared at me like I grew two heads, which was the reaction I was hoping for because I always found it hilarious on his face.

" _Excuse me WHAT?! Let me make this clear: You used your powers in public, risked exposing your tail, saved your 'ONLY' friend from becoming a mermaid, and got punished for missing work_ ," he said carefully. I shrugged my shoulders and nodded.

He gave out a funny laugh and said "Well if there's one thing that won't change about you, it's the fact that you always seem to use your powers whenever you get the chance. Care to explain?"

"Yeah, and- Oh! I almost forgot! I have a new trick to show you!" I said. He gave me a look and nodded as he took a sip of water from a cup he had. I smirk, feeling very rebellious today.

I made my hand into a fist and pulled it into my chest, rendering me invisible.

Lewis's response was hilarious! His eyes bugged out of his sockets, he had to force himself to swallow the water in his mouth to avoid doing a spit-tank and dropped his jaw to the ground when he was done. I am not sorry to admit, but I started laughing my head off.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA!" I guffawed at him. I must have dropped my hand because I was now visible again but I couldn't help it. I honestly need to shock him more often.

Once I calmed down, sort of, I looked at Lewis, who was now flabbergasted and flustered at the same time.

" _Charlotte, when on what time on Earth, have you developed Invisibility as one of your powers?_ " he asked.

I smiled. "Well, when I was having a lesson with Laguna, she decided to become invisible and surprise me. However, I have a technique: Invisibility Detection, which allowed me to see her!"

He gave me a small smile. " _Well, to spare me a heart attack, is there anything else you need to tell me?_ "

I decided to not tell him about my attack from the Water Snake, but I guess he should know what happened over the weekend.

I started with how I got ambushed by Jason and his gang (and the little backstory of our first run-in) and how I used my powers to get them away from me and Damon (Lewis nearly had a hissy-fit that I turned into a mermaid) and skipped ahead to how the girls and I got to the beach. By the time I got to the tunnel entrance, Lewis looked like he was having a moment.

" _You do realize that you nearly exposed your secret at least 5-6 times, whether you used your powers or sprouted a tail. I swear if I was over the-_ "

Lewis stopped when he caught the glare I was giving him, my pretty clear warning to tell him to keep his butt back in Queensland.

" _-and all I'm just saying is that you need to be more careful! At least no one followed you when you went in_ ," he said.

I bit my lip and looked away.

" _Charlotte, were you followed?_ " he asked me suspiciously. He gave me a look and I caved.

"My friend, Alaine, woke up and entered as well, but don't worry! I wasn't in my mermaid form, _but_ she nearly became a mermaid because of some type of mind control Marana put on her. BUT we did get out safely!" I blurted out.

" _Charlotte, really you need to be-Wait? Did you say mind control?_ " he asked.

I nodded. "Well, not exactly, but she put me and Alaine under some kind of trance and I nearly allowed myself to let her get turned. She said how I was practically all alone and I needed someone who could understand me. And, to make it worse, I felt that way. Alaine is my best friend, my _only_ best friend aside from Thomas, and I nearly allowed her life to change for my sake! Thankfully, I levitated her off the ground and placed her near the exit but what's wrong with me?! I have lost it or something?"

'' _There's nothing wrong with you, Char! I guess it's like how the girls handled it, only they had each other to lean on. You, on the other hand, have two adult mermaids and a preteen merboy on your side, but you want someone to lean on as well. **But** , I have to say, I'm proud of you for saving her. Did she remember anything the experience?_" he asked.

I shook my head. "She remembered going into the tunnel but nothing else. I told her to pass it off as a dream though. And you want to know something, the moon pool collapsed after the moon passed over. To be honest, it's clever. You could trap anyone who didn't come out but once you made it out of the tunnel, it solidifies itself back to rock like it wasn't even there. And then, Thomas managed to grab something from the cave. I don't have it with me now but I could describe it to you."

Lewis nodded, telling me to continue.

"Well, it was an oval-prism shaped, sea-blue crystal. When I held it, it gave off so much power, an evil, sinister power, that I couldn't help but drop it. Ever heard of something like that?" I asked.

He was quick to reply. " _Yeah. Remember the new girl I was telling you about?_ "

I nodded. By now, I had calm down from the whole "Emma replacement" thing, but that didn't mean I wanted to learn the girl's name quite yet. I probably will when I know accept it for what it is.

" _Well, she wears a similar crystal around her neck. Turns out, Mako has similar crystals in the cave walls. I believe they were there when the comet, the one which created the pools, crashed and embedded themselves into the wall. She got her own from Ireland though. I believe you found a similar one, only yours belongs to an evil mermaid_ ," he said, the last part sounded weak though.

"So what now? I don't know what to do next. Karen's husband is coming after me for whatever reason, I now need to juggle the fact that I'm lying to my best friend, and also, let's not forget an evil mermaid who now has a moon pool with, possible, a billion crystals embedded in it but also goes into self-destruct mode whenever the moon passes! Let's face it, I'm on my own over here!"

Lewis shrugged his shoulders. " _Well, you can't get rid of your tail, though what else do you plan to do? Go through Laguna's spellbooks and try to reverse the effect or are you planning on taking Marana's tail as well?_ "

To be honest, he struck a nerve harder than Riley ever will. I know I can't forget that night, but that doesn't mean I'll do it again when I get the chance.

"Oh, so that means that I'm evil myself then huh?"

Realizing what he said, Lewis was quick to try to back up what he meant. _''That wasn't what I meant Char! I just mean that you can't get out of your situation no matter what happens! And even if you tried, there would be consequences for your actions and a lot of people could get hurt and-_ "

"And you don't think I know that! Well, news flash: It has already happened! For example, just the other weekend, I just had a giant snake come into my room and try to kill me! And as a result, I now have 3 ugly scars on my back! Tell me, my actions had to have been **so** bad that I nearly died. And then, my mother didn't hear the whole thing! You think I was able to sleep with that on my conscious? I knew she was OK afterward but that still killed me! So tell me, Lewis, I already know I need to be careful with what I do but I _**refuse**_ to be some pawn in someone's game! I think you're lovely girlfriend and her friends made that kind of clear!" I yelled, crossing my arms.

That must have set Lewis off. " _HEY! I'm sorry, but last I check, it was **YOU** that lost control! You got jealous and look where that got you, a bitter harpy in the first place!_"

"Well, since I will always be the evil one in this, whatever we have, why do you even bother talking to me! I'm pretty sure you've been dying to tell the others about my predicament!"

" _I wouldn't because, unlike you, I care! We may not be dating anymore but that doesn't mean we can't be friends! But of course, it's all about Charlotte, always has been, always will be! She'll always care about nothing but herself!_ " he countered back.

"AND YOU THINK I HAVEN'T TRIED TO CHANGE THAT! I STILL CAN'T SLEEP PEACEFULLY SINCE THAT NIGHT! I MAY FEEL COMFORTABLE AT TIMES BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN I DON'T FEEL GUILTY! I COULD PROBABLY SAVE THEIR LIVE ONE DAY AND EVEN IF THEY DIDN'T FORGIVE ME, I HAVE TO LIVE THAT THEY WOULD NEVER ACCEPT MY APOLOGY! I HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT OTHERS BECAUSE, NO MATTER WHAT, THEY CAN BE CONTROLLED AT ANY TIME AND IT WOULD STILL BE MY FAULT BECAUSE I WILL BE THE MAIN CAUSE OF IT NO MATTER WHAT!" I screamed. I felt tears coming from my eyes, but I refused to feel weak and shed the last of my pride.

Lewis was calm and quiet for a moment. His face was unreadable but I guess, in the direction we were headed, it was expected.

" _So, I guess that if you feel that way, this is our last goodbye huh?_ " he asked. He said it more like a statement, but it was also questioned as well.

"I guess it is. It wouldn't be fair anyway to continue talking to each other in the first place," I said. I won't admit it, but I felt a piece of my heart breaking off, but it was for the best. I had to grow up, and let go of my past was further proof.

"Goodbye Lewis."

" _Goodbye Charlotte. Have a nice life_ ," he said. And with that, he logged off just as I closed my laptop.

I laid on my back and looked up at the ceiling. I knew I had not only just took away the closest thing I could get to help from an outsider, but I cost myself a friend. I should apologize for the way I talked but I had a feeling it wouldn't work.

Huh, it's funny how a casual talk ended up with us forever not talking in general.

I closed my eyes and was about to go to sleep until I heard my phone ring.

RRRRRRIIIINNNNGGGGGG! RIIIINNNNNGGGG-

"Hello?" I asked as I answered my phone. I didn't even bother looking at the caller I.D. to see who it was.

 **"C-C-Char?"** I heard a teary voice call. I raised myself as I recognized that voice.

"Alaine, what wrong? Are you OK? Why are you crying?" I asked in full panic mode. I swear if something happened to her...

 **"L-l-listen...d-do y-you s-still have the t-the bike I g-gave you?"** she asked, now on a full-time sobbing.

"Yeah! Did something happen? Alaine? Al, did something happen?" I asked repeatedly. It took a few minutes for her to answer and I was now worried.

 **"C-can you c-c-come and p-pick me up p-please?"** she asked. **"I-I need a p-place to stay for t-the n-n-night."**

Before long, I grabbed Thomas and my helmet, rushed outside to hop onto the bike, and rode off with my dog running beside me. Dear God, what was going on today?

* * *

**3rd POV**

Alaine had told Charlotte to meet her at Valencia Heritage Park. It took a total of six minutes to get there and by the time she got there, it was 6:30 pm. She had no idea how much time had passed since earlier that morning.

As Char hopped off her bike, she attached Thomas to a leash and started walking around to find Alaine, but it was a big park. Charlotte couldn't help but ask around and look around the playgrounds to find her.

WOOF!

She looked down at the dog and then looked at the direction Thomas was barking at and saw a petite figure sitting down near the picnic tables. Instantly, Charlotte knew it was Alaine.

"Alaine!" she yelled as she and Thomas ran towards her. Alaine looked up at them.

Charlotte smiled in relief as she ran towards her but stopped when she noticed two things wrong when she got close enough.

First off, she had a huge duffle bag beside her on the ground. It was big enough to have at least 4 weeks' worth of clothes, she guessed.

The second thing, she was sporting a black eye and a huge bruise on her right cheek. No, it was big enough to the point it was swollen to the point that the whole right part of her face was puffing out.

Oh God, oh God, oh God, WHAT HAPPENED!?


	25. Can A Mermaid Lose Her Pride? Part 1

* * *

**Charlotte's POV**

I will NOT lie: I was glad to have found Alaine safe and sound.

But when I saw the swelling on the side of her face, I wasted no time running up to her and taking her into my arms. I felt Alaine return the hug as she started to cry into my shirt. Thankfully, I had something under it or else I would have sprouted my tail.

I pulled away and got a good look at her face. It seemed that she just needed to put ice on it so that the swelling went down, but that wasn't what was bothering me.

It was the fact that the bruise looked like someone punched her in the face.

"Alaine, what happened to you?" I asked.

I must have hit a nerve because she started to cry and become a blubbering mess. Now that I think about it, I had a pretty good idea of who hit her, and I swore that I would protect her.

"Hey, hey, hey! Calm down, Alaine! Listen, I want you to get your stuff and we'll go to my place and I can whip up a batch of hot chocolate! It's my mom's recipe!" I told her in a slight sing-song tone at the end. She nodded and went back to the table to retrieve her stuff.

I looked around the park and noticed that there were barely any people here. And now that I noticed, I also saw Alaine's bike nowhere in sight. How the Hell did she get here? On foot?

When I saw Alaine coming towards being calm again, she had her bag slung around her shoulder.

"Are you ready?" I asked her timidly.

She just nodded. So, I hopped on my bike and felt Alaine sit down behind me with both feet on the rear axles and grip my shoulders. I looked down at Thomas, who was attached to my bike, looked OK.

"Alright, Let's go!"

It was a little wobbly with 2 people, but once we were on the road, there was no stopping at my house.

* * *

_**At Charlotte's House...** _

By the time we got there, Alaine, oh-so-dangerously, jumped off the bike and grabbed her bag. She was fast enough to do it or else I would have fallen. I got off and safely walked next to her as we slowly walked to the front porch.

The sky was getting dark sooner than expected and I felt a breeze from the wind blow past us. I looked at my friend.

Her head was down and her usual aura of happiness that seemed to follow her had died along with it. The swelling on her face had seemed to go down a little on its own but still needed ice. And from how I saw her eyes earlier, the light in it had died as well. I always thought that maybe Alaine had some kind of eternal happiness reboot button on her, but I would truly be lying if I didn't remember what happened the last time I saw her...with her mom.

When we walked on to the porch, I placed the bike on the side took out the key that was hidden under the doormat, and unlocked the door. Thomas made no time rushing inside the house and I watched as Alaine made her way into the living room. I figured she needed a little alone time so I let her be.

I went into the kitchen and made Thomas's dinner first, to his delight, then pulled out an empty ice pack from the kitchen drawer and began to fill it with water. When it was full, I closed the top, and, looking over my shoulder, I raised my hand, and instantly, the water pack was frozen. After that, I made 2 cups of my mother's famous hot cocoa.

I looked back at the clock to see that my mother would be home soon and I needed to know what happened to Alaine. So, I picked up the ice pack and the coffee mugs and headed into the living room.

The living room was painted with blue walls. There was a bookshelf next to the TV and in the middle of the room was a small coffee table on a brown carpet. There were 2 sofas on both sides of the room, facing each other (one on the wall and the other in front of the windows) and at the edge of the room was my mom's sofa chair, where I found Alaine sitting.

I walked over to her and gave her the cup of cocoa and the ice pack, which she accepted gradually. I sat down on the couch in front of her.

"So...what happened? I saw you earlier today and you were just fine. And now, you were practically in tears by the time I got to you! Did something happen?" I asked.

Alaine just sipped her cocoa and kept her head down. When she was done, she slowly put her cup down and pulled the ice pack towards her bruised face. I scooted up closer to her and brought her face up for me to see. I saw sorrow and hurt coming from her eyes and, much to my displeasure, embarrassment? What could she be embarrassed for?

Suddenly, my mind wandered back to that day at choir tryouts. My first glimpse at her mother, the look of pleading in her eyes and now, I know I'm going to have to ask the dreaded question. I breathed in a sharp breath and felt the words roll off of my tongue as I spoke.

"Alaine...did your mom hurt you?"

And like that, she burst out in tears, which held no difference compared to a flood of water bursting out of a well-built dam. She used her hands to cover her face, but the tears just kept coming.

I jumped back a little to avoid her tears landing on me. The **_last_** thing I needed was to become a mermaid right in front of her. So, instead, I did as my grandmother used to when I was little, and placed my hands on her shoulders and rubbed them soothingly to calm down.

It worked. Within minutes of crying, she calmed down though I _knew_ she had **_waaayyyy_** more tears to let out, I needed to know what happened.

"Alaine, please, I need to know what happened today. Not that long ago, this morning, you were as happy as lark, but now you're an emotional wreck! Did something happen once you got home?" I pleaded, "you know you can trust me...aren't we best friends?"

I looked towards the ground and have never felt more ashamed at myself than before. Oh how nice of me to play the "best friend" card, yet I can't even tell her that I'm a mermaid for Pete's sake!

I heard Alaine mumble and leaned my head back up to hear her better.

"Can you repeat that?" I asked.

"S-s-she w-wasn't su-supposed to be home t-today," she whispered.

It took me a minute to realize what she meant. Andrea, I think that was her name, wasn't supposed to be home when she left. But the didn't make any sense. She should have been home in general...right?

"Who? Your mom? What does that have to do with anything? Didn't she know about our little day out yesterday?" I asked. I waited a few minutes until she spoke again.

"No...I never told her at all. She was supposed to be away until Monday," Alaine confessed. She had stopped stuttering and had calmed down to speak in proper English.

"So, you lied to her? Sorry to sound disrespectful to parents everywhere, how is that a bad thing? You just didn't tell her," I said.

"Listen, you don't understand! She-she...I didn't understand how she knew about yesterday. But when I got home, I found her sitting on the couch, drinking a bottle of beer and she had a computer on her lap," she said as she started to cry again, "I asked her what she was doing home so earlier and she turned to computer around and on the screen were pictures from the other day at the mall. I saw that some of the girls must have posted the pictures on Facebook and somewhere under my name...Oh god, it just got ugly from there. She got up and the first thing she did was splash beer on my face and asked me how conceited I was. I told her I wasn't but she wouldn't listen to me and then she brought you up and all the sudden, I got defensive, and...and...all I know was that I was on the floor in seconds and then I was packing my stuff running out the house and calling you!"

I watched as Alaine returned to a sobbing-mess as she wrapped her arms around herself and started rocking herself back and forth. Against my better judgment, I pulled her close to my body and held her again. There were so many things going through my head that I felt a slight headache coming along. But now I was assured of 1 thing:

Alaine's mom is abusing her.

I mean, there was no other option to consider. To be honest, I was stupid enough not to suspect this after I had witnessed her hit Alaine in the girls' bathroom. Part of me felt stupid because I put myself in a bystander position when she needed help. But when she confronted me in the girls' locker room the night I found out I was a mermaid again, it was like she was used to this behavior.

Though it makes sense, seeing as I tried to bottle up my emotions as best as I can for a time before I have to let it out.

I pulled away and made her look at me.

"Listen, Al, you don't even have to ask. You can stay here as long as you need and after this, you and I can ask my mom to take us to the police station and-"

"Woah, wait a minute!" Alaine interrupted me, "my mom doesn't hurt me or anything. Well, badly. It just went too far today. That's all!"

Now, it was my turn to look flabbergasted. Was she seriously defending the woman that had no problem beating her down when she was angry?

"So what your telling me is that you can to me in a blubbering mess and confessed that your mother lost it, yet you don't want to file a report?" I asked in a serious tone.

Alaine nodded. "There's no law saying that the fight was an act of child abuse, which it wasn't, and, besides, it was just a parent disciplining their child. There's nothing to report."

If that was her way of saying no and stating the facts why, well now I could understand. But if she was just defending the woman who raised her and is abusing her, we were going to have some issues.

I was about to say something when I heard the front door open and saw Thomas rush out of the room. Then, I heard my mom's voice.

"Charlotte, I'm home! I hope you don't mind if I brought Chinese, your favorite!" I heard her say, "and yes Thomas, I see you, yes I do!"

When she finally came into view, I saw her smile and in her hands was a big, brown bag filled with Chinese food and her purse. However, my mom's smile faded when she saw what was in front of her. Not wanting to fully explain everything, I got up and said,

"Mom, Alaine needs a place to stay for a while. She'll be staying in the guest room for now. Will that be a problem?"

I saw my mom eye Alaine and study her features. My guess was the bloodshot eyes from the crying and how tired she was that made her silently nod, approving of our new house guest. Turning towards Alaine, I held out my hand, which she accepted, and helped her out her seat.

"C'mon, let me show you to your room."

* * *

Later that night, I was sitting on my bed, looking up abuse stories and the California law system with Thomas sitting beside me, when my mom came in.

I looked up at her and sighed. Part of me knew she would want some detail about why Alaine was staying with us and why she looked like she had cried a river as well. To be honest, I wanted to tell her my suspicions, though I felt that I had enough evidence for child abuse as it was, I was going to have to wait for Alaine to come clean to herself before I told anyone.

 _ **Great**_ , another big secret I have to keep.

"Alright, normally, I would have no problems if you wanted to invite a friend over, believe me when I say this. But what happened to Alaine? When I saw her with you yesterday, she seemed as polite and happy with herself. And though I know a lot can happen in a day, her swollen face and her tear-streaked eyes just say that something all new! So can you tell me what happened?" my mom asked.

I quickly looked to my computer and exited out of any evidence that I was looking at earlier. I didn't need her to go snooping on this when I went to school the next day. And don't think I'm lying about this because I and my mom have our honesty code and allowing her to go through my computer at times goes with it.

I looked up at her and said "I'm sorry, mom, but that's not my secret to tell. To be honest, she called me and I rushed to get her. By the time you got here, I had _**just**_ calmed her down. All I know is that she needed a place to stay for the night and I'm letting her stay if you'll let me."

"Of course she can stay, but I know you Charlotte. Before we moved to the States, you were always to yourself and only speaking to me when you needed to. Now, it seems like you only need me when you need parental permission for something. You're 17 going on 18 and you have responsibilities, not only to me but to yourself. And after you graduate, you're going to college and...and...you won't need me anymore. But it seems as if you never needed me at the beginning," my mom confessed. It didn't take me long to see her eyes starting to swell.

Part of me felt like I was going to cry. Not many people know this, but two years and two months before Gracie's death, I witnessed how my father died in a dolphin incident. That's mostly the sole reason why I'm terrified of dolphins majorly, though I learned that not all dolphins are like that.

And coming with being a mermaid, this secret comes with sacrifices. And like the girls, one of them was lying to their parents. I mean, when I lost my tail, I lost every reason to tell her everything, especially about Gracie (that one was practically a family secret). But now that I have my tail back, I was given the responsibility to trust a few people with my secret.

And to make it worse, it was hurting the only family I had left: My mom.

I quickly leaned in and wrapped my arms around my mom's neck as tightly as I could and I felt her do the same. I had to let her know that I was _**here**_ and that she would always have me. When we pulled away, I spoke.

"Mom, I'm so _**so**_ sorry if I made you feel that way! I...I honestly don't have any excuse for treating you that way. It's just that, it's hard coping with trying to get a fresh start because of...The truth is that I'm not the person you think I am. I can't always tell the truth but I always have a good reason why, and I know I'm not the perfect daughter but I can try to make you proud. But the truth is that I love you and I don't want us to be apart because of that.

So what if I go to college? Whether it's 3 hours from here or 3,000 miles from here, I'll always come back to you, no matter how happy or stubborn I am to admit it. You don't have to worry about me leaving, you'll still have me no matter what."

By the time I was done, I felt tears running down my face and saw the same running with my mom.

I wasn't lying though. I promised myself that I will be a different girl than I was in Australia, and that meant trying to make due on my promises. And by cutting Lewis out, no matter how much I might need him, I can at least work out the rest with the Coves.

Now as a daughter to a parent, I had to do my best to be the best as I can be and make my mom proud. Over the years, there may have been some distance between us due to her working and me being bullied and all, but since this would possibly be my last year living at home with her, I had to make it last.

"I am so glad you feel that way, because, if I had it my way, you would be locked in this house with me forever!" my mom said with a teary laugh. I joined in.

It was nice to have these talks, and I know it may be a while before I get the chance to tell her the truth but I guess if spending time with the people I care about helps, then so be it.

When my mom got up and left, later on, I saw the clock and decided that I needed to head to bed. So I put my laptop away and turned off the lights before getting under the covers.

I won't take what I have for granted any more than I did before, but as I turned on my side to get some sleep, I realized...

Maybe, just maybe...some deep, sick part of me can't help but feel glad at being better at something the girls already aren't: A better daughter to our parent(s).

* * *

_**September 21st, 2009, Monday...** _

**3rd POV**

When Charlotte woke up the next morning, her nose picked up a few familiar smells.

Eggs. Bacon. Pancakes...with cinnamon?

What on earth was her mother up to? She better not be experimenting again. She may be a chef, but when it came to creating new recipes from scratch, not everything comes out well and tasty.

Charlotte threw back the covers quickly and dashed out of her room. She then went running down the stairs and headed towards the kitchen.

"Mom, please tell me you're not trying to create a new pancake recipe because you didn't listen to me last time and the green bell peppers..." she trailed as she took in the sight in front of her.

Looking back at her, there was Alaine and Annette, both in aprons, with perfectly baked pancakes and sausage in their hands, looking at her with wide eyes. And on the floor, Thomas was eyeing the sausage with what one would call "food-lust".

Alaine turned to her mother. "You tried to cook green bell peppers in pancakes? How well did that turn out?"

Annette shrugged. "Not well, especially if you also add red bell peppers, bananas, and eggs to it. To be honest, I think it came out as some messy pancake-omelet hybrid instead."

Alaine gave Charlotte a smiled and said: "OK, now I know I need to be in the kitchen with you if that happens."

"HEY!" Annette exclaimed with humor in her voice.

Charlotte smiled. Seemed that this living arrangement would work out well.

"Alright, since I am practically in my PJs, I'm gonna head upstairs and get dressed," Charlotte said, wanting to give them some alone time and get her bath over with.

A tail and an hour later, Charlotte came down again with her hair in a curly body wave and wearing a purple skirt, white sneakers, and the white top, a little joke shirt Charlotte made earlier, with " **THE SECRET SOCIETY OF EX MERMAIDS** " on it.

"Fashion statement much?" Alaine said with a smile when she saw the outfit, "what did Ariel ever do to you?". Charlotte knew that she was joking and that was the whole point when she created the shirt.

So, she put her hands on her hips with a smile and said, "You have no idea and I should probably say the same thing."

Then, Charlotte looked over at Alaine's look. Her black her was braided into a waterfall and she had on a pink, lace flowy dress that was short in the front and flowed in the back. And as for the shoes, were white gladiator shoes.

Alaine beamed in pride. "Hey, for me, looking this good, every day, 365 days a year, is more of a goal than a chore."

"Well, unless you want to look good on an empty stomach, then let's eat," Charlotte said with another smile as the two went to eat breakfast.

Turns out that Alaine got up earlier and started to make breakfast when Annette came in. It was revealed that they both loved cooking and were trading cooking tips when Charlotte came in.

However, it was time for them to leave and at Alaine's insistence, they decided to take Char's bike to school.

"You know, you never told me where you got the bike," Charlotte said.

"Oh, it was my old one. I needed a new bike and I sort of had to do some odd jobs to get my new one," Alaine responded.

"Which is where...?"

"At my house."

Charlotte rolled her eyes as she finished adjusting Thomas to her bike and climbed on with her satchel on her shoulder and Alaine, with her floral backpack on her, hopped on right behind me.

"Wait!" Alaine quickly said before taking off and coming back with a helmet. "You honestly think I'd let you go without protection? HA! Then you don't know me!"

Rolling her eyes again, she felt Alaine climb back on and wrap her arms around her before they set off to school.

* * *

**Charlotte's POV**

Surprisingly, the school day went very well for me and Al. We had class, met up with the other girls, had choir practice since softball practice was canceled for the day, and I hadn't run into Riley at all.

I found out from Domonique that Damon was grounded for getting involved in a fight, which he didn't blame me for and had said he would do it again if he had to.

 _Yeah_ , _well_ _unless_ _he_ _wants_ _me_ _to_ " _save"_ _him_ _again_ , _I'll_ _take_ _the_ _offer,_ I thought.

So before school ended, I called my mom to pick Alaine up while I decided to call Karen and have her pick me up.

_**RRRRRRIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNGGGGGGG!** _

As everyone left the school building in a hurry, I saw my mom in her car, waving at me and Alaine as we were getting out of the building.

"Are you sure you don't need a lift? I mean, I've never seen the cafe before, well except the internet, and you need some sleep for softball practice tomorrow," Alaine said to me as we waved over to my mom.

"Don't worry, I have a ride and if I do remember right, you and my mom were talking pollen and all sorts of stuff to do in the garden my mom's planning on trying to start this morning," I said with a smile, "I'll be fine. The worst that can happen is me running into Riley today."

Alaine shook her head. "Wait? He's pinning for you? Still? Why?"

"I have no idea. We bump into each other once, just once, and since then, he's been trying to ask me out to no avail," I explained.

"And when do you plan on saying yes?' she asked.

"When I don't have any choice," I said, signaling the end of the topic for now. Alaine had been on my back all day since I first opened my locker and a note fell out.

And here's what it said:

_"Charlotte,_

_I know you probably still hate me or at least feel some dislike towards me, but I am determined to get your hand and rush off into the sunset on my trusty steed with you as my princess. So, once again, I **WILL** ask:_

_Will do me the honor of going on a date with me?_

_From your favorite Paradise lifeguard,_

_Riley Byrnes"_

Not only was the note as cheesy as heck, but did he call me a princess? Sorry, but no matter what anyone says, there are 3 girls in the land down under who win that title!

And to make it worse, he had the nerve to say that I **_disliked_** him! I'll admit that I don't hate the guy, but he's pushed so many buttons already that I feel the urge to freeze him alive!

"Well, at least let him down gently. I doubt you have the inability to make a grown man cry," Alaine said sarcastically with her arms crossed.

"Are you kidding me? The first time I told him, I let him down gently. The second time, I added a little more force. Now, I'm sorry, but if I have to be a bitch to get the message across, then I have no choice but to go with it," I admitted. Riley's persistence is starting to annoy me and part of me is worried that it will be too much.

**BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!**

We both looked ahead to see my mom honking her horn at us.

"Well, as much as I'd love to see how THAT will go down, I have to go. See you at your place!" my best friend exclaimed as she ran off to the car.

"Yeah, since you're staying there!" I yelled at her.

Alaine turned around right quick, stuck her tongue out at me, and ran back to the car. I watched as she got into the passenger seat of my car before it sped off. It didn't bother me that she had many things in common with my mother, but I have a feeling that she may get her very own bedroom if she keeps this up.

Chuckling at the thought, I went to untie Thomas from his tree as usual and silently waited for Karen.

Which wasn't that long as Karen pulled up in front of her. I put Thomas in the back seat and took my seat next to the driver's seat before pulling off.

I didn't know what to say exactly, considering that Brendan and I practically blew Jonathan's top off by ditching him and, if Karen and Laguna knew, almost blew my secret by turning invisible in a public place. To be honest, I was worried more about hearing Laguna's Dolphin tongue than doing drills, which I highly doubted I would get to do again.

"So how was your day?" Karen asked, her tone as bright and happy as always. This made me more nervous.

"Um, nothing much. My best friend is staying at my house for a while and is already best friends with my mother," I said, trying to lighten the mood like Karen.

She laughed. "Really? How? I remember how I used to bring friends home from school and after a while, they stopped coming because they felt my mother giving her annual glare from behind them. And it was creepy furthermore because it was similar to those shark movies where you think you're alone and then...BAM! The shark comes and eats you alive!"

Karen started laughing so hard that she was snorting at her own joke. And now that I think about it, Laguna did have some pretty scary faces that would make anyone run for the hills. It just so happened that I rarely tried to provoke it and Laguna only needed a reason to use them.

"Well, apparently, by their love for food and cooking, and possibly gardening as well, it seems that school is the only way to keep them apart," I said with a laugh, "in fact, I wouldn't be surprised if my mom is now considering making the guest bedroom her bedroom now."

"So what's wrong then?" Karen asked me suddenly. I looked at her with wide eyes.

"What makes you think anything is wrong?"

"Easy, your mouth says one thing but your eyes say another. You're not happy about them being together?" Karen asked.

"No no no! It's s not like that! It's just...last night, me and my mom had a little heart to heart last night and she thought that I never needed her at all, but that's not true. I told her that I can't always tell the truth but I have good reasons why and...Karen, I need to ask: Is it possible to tell my mom about me?"

Karen nearly stopped the van at that question. She just kept staring at the road, but I knew that "NO" was the answer.

We didn't talk much during the rest of the drive. I knew that being a mermaid and exposing yourself was a huge risk, and not only to yourself but to anyone else who shared the secret as well. But then again, 3 girls in Australia can get away with telling their boyfriends.

But the question still eludes me: Why don't their parents know?

Maybe that's why I strive to be a better daughter so much to my mom. They can't tell their parents because they're afraid of how they'll react, but you can't fear the people who created you, feed you, love you with their whole hearts, and expect anything bad from them.

This is my last year in high school and if I'm going to repair the damage I put on her, I have to come clean, or at least to the point she knows that everything is not what it seems. I trust her enough with my heart, though I now wished I showed it more often, plus my secret is practically the game-changer.

I could live a normal life with the possibility of being caught or I can be studied by scientists and/or be on display in an aquarium.

Like a normal girl, I'll take the one that is great for me!

* * *

**_At Paradise Cove Cafe..._ **

When we pulled up into the cafe parking lot, I let Thomas out and decided to let him roam free for the day. I know I'll get in even more trouble, but I trust Thomas not to get caught!

"You do know the consequences if he gets caught right?" Karen asked me as she watched me take the collar off of Thomas before he ran down the beach.

"Yeah, but I trust him, and technically, you, your husband, or Laguna have to call him in for the pound," I said slyly. Knowing what I was talking about, Karen smirked at me before we entered the restaurant.

By the time we got in, the place was packed as usual and Karen made no problem putting on her work shirt over the maternity shirt she was wearing and started taking her shift as a host. Meanwhile, I made no problem dashing to the back of the restaurant to change into my uniform as well. I clocked in for me and Karen wouldn't be called in as late.

As I came out and started to wait tables, I felt a little uneasy, seeing as I could bump into Jonathan at any given moment. Here I was, out in the open and the guy is pretty much the human version of the Hulk when angry!

Just as I was about to go take orders from another table, I felt someone grabbed my arms and I jumped up in fright...

Only to see it was Riley.

"Don't scare me like that!" I quietly exclaimed before regaining my posture. Of course, rather than the guy I'm scared to see, I'm brought to the guy I'm so annoyed with rather. You know what, I'll take Jonathan any day!

"Sorry if I scared you," he apologized, though I doubted it, "but considering you left me with a raging man yesterday, I'm more frightened than you!"

Though he meant it as a joke, I couldn't help but slap him on the shoulder for it.

"Ow," he said rubbing his arm. "Alright, so I may have deserved that but I'm here because-"

"You're hoping I got the note that you slipped into my locker at school. And once again, I decline!" I said as I moved away from him.

I've been more than nice once, harsh to no return and yet he's **_still_** pining after me! What was his problem? Couldn't he take a hint?!

"Charlotte, please, I know I've asked you more than once, but now I'm going to have to ask why? Why do you keep on rejecting me 'cause I'm starting to get that there's a whole other-"

"LOOK!" I said in my most menacing voice, practically in his face, "you don't know me and quite frankly, I'm done trying to read you! This has nothing to do with my personal dating life, which I don't have time for, or anything else to put it clearly: I. Do. Not. Want. To. Go. Out. With. YOU!"

Finally hoping my thorough yet harsh words told him to leave me alone because as of now, I'm done being nice. Walking away from him, I skipped the table I was planning on going to and walked further away from him, keeping the distance as long as possible.

Was I like this back in Queensland? Even if I hadn't been abusive, Lewis, no matter how nice, would have dumped me so fast for being as needy as hell towards him.

I brought out my pen and notepad, getting ready to serve to costumers in front of me when I heard Riley yell.

"CHARLOTTE WATSFORD!"

Oh boy, he better not be doing what I think he's doing!

I slowly turned around and, as I predicted, there was Riley, in all his glory, standing on top of a table, catching the attention of not only me but the entire fricken restaurant as well! I saw that our "audience" cleared a path between me and Riley as they waited to see what happens next.

"CHARLOTTE WATSFORD!" he repeated, "I HAVE HONESTLY BEEN UNCARING, SELFISH, AND A JERK TOWARDS YOU SINCE WE FIRST MET IN THIS VERY RESTAURANT..."

Oh man, he's making it sound like he's proposing to me! I can practically feel all the looks behind my back as I did my best to stare blankly at him.

"...BUT AS FATE WOULD HAVE IT, YOU WERE A SPITFIRE AND YOUR ENDLESS FLAME ATTRACTED ME AND BURNED ME AS ALWAYS. MORE THAN 3 TIMES, I HAVE ASKED FOR YOUR HAND IN A DATE WITH ME, BUT YOUR REFUSAL HAS ALWAYS BROUGHT ME DOWN TO MY LOWEST!"

Oh, talk about dramatics! Is he seriously doing this?

"NOW, I ASK YOU, WITH ALL THESE FELLOW WITNESSES, WILL YOU _**PLEASE**_ GO OUT ON A DATE WITH ME!" he exclaimed loudly, with his hands closed together in a begging gesture.

I looked around and nearly deflated at the sight of the Coves. Karen had on hand over her mouth as she tried to suppress a laugh, Brendan had the nerve to smile like the Joker while recording this entire thing on his phone, Jonathan just held a glare at me, and even Laguna was having trouble looking at this scene with a straight face.

"Riley, this has gone on far enough! And as repeated as many times as I said it, the answer is NO!" I shouted.

I saw him falter in his eyes. He expected me to say yet just like that. Then, he grew a smirk on his face. Oh no.

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THE BURNING FLAME THAT HAS PLAGUED MY DREAMS FOR MANY NIGHTS CONTINUES TO REFUSE ME! I LIE AWAKE AT NIGHT, DREAMING ABOUT HER, FROM HER VOICE TO HER FIRE, FROM HER LONG, SILKY HAIR TO HER GORGEOUS BROWN EYES! SHE IS ALL I THINK ABOUT, DAY AND NIGHT! SO I BEG OF YOU, ALL OF YOU, PLEASE LET MY FAIR MAIDEN SEE REASON IN LETTING ME COURT HER AND BEHOLD LIFE AS IT IS!"

I felt the blood rise to my face as numerous people started shouting things at me.

"C'mon, the guy is begging for ya! Accept the damn thing!"

"He's a keeper! No man has ever done that for me."

"SAY YES! SAY YES! SAY YES!"

"This is something that happens once in a lifetime. Take it as it is!"

"Just say yes already! I'm starving!"

It was was the numerous voices and shouts that quickly filled the room that drove me to the end of my sanity.

"ALL RIGHT!" I yelled.

The crowd quickly silenced at my voice and I looked up at Riley. This guy better keep his word or else I'm done.

"All right, Riley Byrnes, I will..." I trailed getting my remaining dignity together,"...I'll go out on a date with you."

It got silent now, almost to the point you could hear a pin drop.

I watched him as he stared at me in shock, then started to mumble. At first, I couldn't understand it until he dropped to his knees on the table he was on, threw his head back with both fists in the air and screamed,

"SHE SAID YYYYYYYEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSS!"

The entire restaurant burst into cheers and, knowing good and fully well that my face was red, I ran to the back of the restaurant, the staff's changing room, hiding my face. I passed the Coves, only to see Brendan jumping up and down like a monkey while saying he has officially 'created memories' to look at over and over again.


	26. Can A Mermaid Lose Her Pride? Part 2

_**At the Coves' underground cave/pool...** _

**Charlotte's POV**

To be honest, I didn't expect any comments from the Coves after today's events. After all, I had a hard enough time working after Riley's little "display" because people kept asking me what, where the date would be, or why did I keep rejecting him. So let me be honest here: I was ready to strangle Riley after I asked him about the date.

_**Flashback...** _

_I had finished my shift and had changed back into my regular clothes and had walked out of the cafe when I saw Riley about to take his post as the lifeguard._

_Honestly, I can't even express how mad I was after the incident. It's bad enough that the WHOLE cafe now knows my business, but according to one of the waitresses I work with, I will NEVER be able to live this down!_

_But being the sensible girl, or mermaid, that I am, since Riley begged for this date, then at least he can tell me when he wants to do this. So, I started a slow pace before I found myself marching towards him._

_"RILEY!" I shouted to get his attention. He turned around and once he caught sight of me walking towards him, he gave me a smug look. Oh, the nerve of him!_

_"Charlotte, it's good to see you out and about. Came by to say hello and check up on me, have you?" he asked with a smirk that nearly took all of my control to not slap off._

_"Real mature, Riley, really mature. To embarrass me in front of not only the c_ _u_ _st_ _o_ _mers but my co-workers and my bosses all because you just couldn't handle rejection," I said coldly._

_He just laughed. "It worked didn't it?"_

_And in response, and for my nerves, I slapped him on the shoulder. Wow, no wonder I've been doing that a lot lately._

_"Ow, you broke my heart," he said with a mock hurt expression on his face while pretending to rub his shoulder, "but seriously, you finally said yes, so that's all it matters to me."_

_I suddenly felt a slight piece of hope fill me. "So we don't have a date?" I asked hopefully._

_Riley snorted. "Nope, we are still going out!"_

_And like that, my hope deflated._

_"Well then. Since I can't seem to talk you out of this, will you at least tell me when and where, and most importantly, what the date is going to be about?" I pleaded. I am done and if he wants to play this game, then I'll let him._

_I stared at him for a few minutes, awaiting an answer to my question. And all he did was stare back at me like we were having some type of staring contest!_

_Then, he laughed at me._

_"To be honest," Riley had said with a cocky grin, "It's a surprise." And with that, he climbed up to his post and started his shift._

_Leaving me to wonder what exactly I had just gotten myself into._

**_Flashback ends..._ **

And now, I have to deal with this "mystery date" and that's the last thing I need on my unnecessary to-do list!

So after work, if you could call it that, I rode with Laguna, Karen, Brendan, and Thomas (who managed to run around the beach undetected) in the van to their house for my training. On the way, Brendan couldn't keep that stupid smile off his face and Karen kept making small jokes about it by talking about how Jonathan made embarrassing gestures when they started dating. It seemed like Laguna was the only one who made the ride comfortable by talking about mermaid training and some new game she wanted me to try to test my abilities.

But apparently, Brendan wouldn't leave my favorite, dreaded topic alone.

"Does this new game have a name? Because I can think of one! It's called "How Many Times Can You Reject a Riley?" The objective of the game is to see how many times you can reject Riley Byrnes for a date until you give in! It's fun for all ages for all Charlotte's everywhere!" Brendan roared with laughter and I was tempted to strangle him.

So instead, I slapped him on the shoulder and said "Oh, shut it, Brendan!"

Brendan stopped laugh and looked at me for a moment before hitting me on the shoulder back.

So I hit him again.

Then he hit me again.

And I hit him again.

 _And_ then he hit me again.

We repeated this again _and_ again until we were fighting like two siblings fighting in the back of the car, slapping our hands against each other. We were like siblings, in a way, fighting in the backseat of a car.

Eventually, Laguna got irritated by the noise we were making and turned around in her seat to face us.

"Stop it you two! You BOTH are too old for this and if I have to stop this car, I will, and you will BOTH walk to the house! UNDERSTAND!?" Laguna yelled while giving us her nastiest glare.

Too frightened by the threat, Brendan and I stopped and sat down in our seats quietly for the duration of the ride.

By the time we got there, I practically snatched the keys from Karen and rushed out of the van to get inside the house. Then I wasted no time firing up the fireplace and entering the hidden entrance to the cave. I knew I was being rude, but I didn't want to hear a Riley comment for the rest of my night.

So here I am, sitting at the bottom of the pool a few minutes later, waiting for Laguna to throw in the beach balls. Turns out Laguna's game was to see how many balls I could lift into the air using telekinesis and my water powers at the same time. Brendan calls it "The Lift-off".

"Alright, you can come up now!" Brendan shouted. Hearing that, I rose and broke through the surface of the water for a breath of air.

"Charlotte, the rules are simple. All you have to do is get each ball up into the air by using telekinesis or shoot the balls out of the water. Just keep them in the air for as long as you can and put as much focus and concentration into it as you can. And you can not use your ice powers to help keep the balls up in the air," Karen stated.

"And if I was to drop them?" I asked.

"Easy, you get a mark, and Brendan will announce it. And once we tally those marks up, we continue this practice until the marks get lowered. For example, if you drop a ball at least twenty times, then we will try it again until the marks are lowered. Make sense?" Laguna asked me.

I nodded. I could do that.

"But no pressure!" Karen interjected, "I don't expect you to do well on your first try."

Leave it to Karen to be the reassured one.

"Alright, start it up!" Brendan exclaimed. Laguna grabbed a beach ball and threw it into the pool. The moment it hit the water, I took a deep breath as I raised my hand.

I watched as a water-like pillar rose out of the water with the ball floating on top of it. I was worried for a second because the ball almost fell over, but it was still rotating on the pillar.

"Next ball!" Brendan exclaimed as I heard the second ball hit the water. I slightly turned my head and raised my other hand at the ball. While trying to keep my eyes on the first ball, I managed to catch a glimpse of the second ball floating in the air. I tried to keep my focus for as long I could, but it ended after 5 minutes when the ball that I had floating in the air fell out of my grasp and landed back into the pool with a soft "PLUNK".

"MARK:1!" Brendan stated loudly.

"Don't worry Charlotte, this usually takes a lot of practice," Karen said encouragingly. Laguna didn't say anything and just threw another ball into the pool.

This time, I had an idea. I used my water powers to create a bigger and wider water-pillar rose from the water with the ball on top of it. Then I moved it over to the first pillar and converged them together. Honestly, my heart nearly stopped when the first ball nearly fell over in the process, but thankfully, both balls ended up rotating themselves and moving around in a circle.

After that, I had used telekinesis to lift the next ball in the air and made the water-pillar expand so that when I placed a ball in it, it went into the circle. I had made my eyes turn into the direction of the Coves to see their reaction...and boy was it funny.

Brendan looked like he couldn't believe what he was seeing. Karen was wide-eyed about my tactics, but I was surprised that somehow Laguna kept a straight face.

After an hour passed, I had a huge and wide water-pillar in front of me with at least 10 balls in it. I was about to add one more ball in it until I saw the pillar start to boil and soon enough, it evaporated and all the balls fell into the water.

I snapped my head towards the Coves and saw that it was Laguna who melted the pillar.

"What? I wasn't cheating or anything!" I exclaimed with a pouty face. Karen just chuckled.

"It wasn't that. It was the fact that I and Brendan never came up with that idea when Mother made us do it!" Karen said with a laugh. Then, I looked towards Laguna.

"So, as Brendan would put it: You found a loop-hole. I'm impressed", Laguna said, "but that won't stay the same. But the next time we do this, I'll have an obstacle for you and then, you'll have a higher mark."

I was confused. "What do you mean, "The next time"? I was just getting started!"

Brendan snorted. "Yeah, by an hour."

I snapped my head to him and quickly made a small pillar of water and made it spay on him. I had to laugh as he looked soaking wet before diving into the water and resurfacing next to me in his merman form.

"What was that for!?" he exclaimed, trying to look angry. I laughed again.

"Easy, you laughed at me," I tried to say casually. He looked kind of cute when he looked mad.

"Well, I'll give you something to laugh about," he stated as he formed a smaller pillar and sprayed me. But I ducked underwater, grabbed hold of his tail, and dragged him down under.

Knowing the water didn't affect him, he twisted and turned until I let go and he decided to return the favor. I guess we went on and on, playfully wrestling in the water for a while until we resurfaced.

We looked to see both Karen and Laguna giving us amused looks.

"Charlotte, will it kill you to act your age?" Laguna asked me, trying to be stern.

"No offense, but no one acts their age until the day they die. So...Sorry!" I exclaimed happily. Karen just laughed at her mother's deadpanned expression.

"Anyways, I think I should drop you off at home. Somehow, your mother got my number and told me to have you home by 8 for dinner," Karen said.

"But moooooom, can't she stay overnight?" Brendan whined.

Suddenly, a smirk appeared on her face. "But if she does, she might eat up all the Rocky Road Ice Cream you've been waiting to have."

I saw Brendan's eyes widen and he looked to me and said, rather quickly, "Bye Charlotte! See you tomorrow!" before diving down under the water.

Normally I wouldn't think this, but I seem to have given myself a little brother.

* * *

**_At Charlotte's house..._ **

After a long drive with Karen after leaving the Coves, I finally felt like relaxing a bit before I got home. But I can't relax. With Alaine making friends with my mom, I'm more worried about how the house looks when I get there than how they're getting along!

Then, we finally pulled up onto the driveway of my house. The moment I stepped out of Karen's van, a fantastic aroma hit me and I inhaled it in. From what I smelled, it was garlic bread, pasta with tomato sauce, and...I couldn't put my finger on it, but my guess was dessert.

Dear God, what are those two up to?

After getting Thomas out the van and waving goodbye to Karen as she drove off, we walked towards to front porch, the smelling getting stronger by the second. I still couldn't put a name on the mystery dessert, but my mouth was watering!

Once I grabbed the knob of the door, the door swung open and I was instantly pulled in by a very energetic Alaine!

"Oh good, oh good, GREAT! You're just in time for dinner!" she said in a hyperactive voice as she quickly engulfed me into a hug before dragging me to the dining room. I heard the front door shut behind me, signaling that Thomas closed the door. Another new trick I taught him!

Alright, so far, so good. The living room is still intact, there's no dirt or mud that I thought I would see piling in from the backyard (though it could have been cleaned up), so let's see how messy the kitchen is.

Alaine's dragging eventually stopped and she showed me the dining table. And since we had a large table with 8 chairs, I was curious to see what she was showing me.

And I had to admit, I blinked a couple of times to see if it was real.

The table was set beautifully. In the center of the table was a vase full of flowers from my mom's garden and on both sides were lighted candles. Somehow, Alaine had managed to convince my mom to use her good glass plates with nice-looking place-mats under them. Then on the right of each plate was a set of silverware: a knife, a fork, and a spoon.

"Wow, what happened while I was gone?" I asked my best friend.

Alaine smiled cheekily at me. "Well, after we were done gardening, your mom told me how, lately, you guys never sat down for a nice, home-cooked dinner, So, I suggested that we'd make our own, with you here, of course."

"And just in time too," my mom said as she came into the room with a bowl filled with spaghetti, "Alaine, can you get the breadsticks?"

I looked towards Alaine, who nodded at the request, and she left my side and went to the kitchen. And a few minutes later, she came back in with a plate filled with at least 6 breadsticks on it. Both of them sat the food on the table.

"Alright, girls, go wash your hands so you can eat," Mom said as she took off the apron I hadn't noticed she was wearing. I slightly stiffened at the mention of washing my hands.

So I quickly went to the bathroom, opened the cabinet to find my "no-water" hand-sanitizer and poured some onto my hand, and turned on the sink faucet so that Alaine nor my mom suspected anything. After I rubbed it on, I turned the faucet off and left the room.

A few minutes later, we were all seated at the table, admittingly with our plates full of food, and left it to my mom to tell me what happened while I was gone. Thomas was happily munching on his dog food mixed with pasta sauce.

"...so after I showed her the flowers I had picked out to plant in the garden, she was like '"No, no, no, you're a chef for Pete's Sake. I highly recommend that you just plant the blueberries and the flower bulbs so that way the soil can get some nourishment in it. Also, it will last up to October!'" So we ended up getting Garlic, Flower bells, and blueberries for the garden," my mom recounted. It made me happy to see the light in her eyes.

Alaine laughed. "Yeah, plus November is harvest season! So I and Annette do plan on getting more herbs and vegetables to plant before winter hits."

I raised my eyebrow and took a bite out of my breadstick before speaking, "And here I was worrying that the house wouldn't be in one piece when I got back. Should I go check out the garden later?"

But honestly, I could tell that my mother had fallen under Alaine's inescapable charm.

They both laughed. "Technically, we aren't done yet. I'll show you later," Alaine said.

And suddenly, my mom whacked herself in the middle of her forehead. "Now I know what I did wrong," she said, looking towards me. "How was _YOUR_ day? I know you probably don't want to hear us talk about gardening and cooking all night."

Compared to today's events, I'll gladly listen to the differences.

"Well, nothing happened. I served until dinner rush, washed some tables and stuff like that. Nothin-"

RRRRRRRRRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNNNGGGGGGG!

All of us stopped and turned our heads towards the telephone. I started to get up, but Alaine had a head-start and beat me to the phone before picking it up.

"Hello," Alaine answered with her usual happy self. But I noticed the smile on her face start to fall.

"Mom, how did you-you expect me to just drop what I'm doing and come home? Is that place even considered home anymore?" Alaine said, her voice sounding like it was angry.

I couldn't hear what her mother was saying, which I'm not sure is a good thing or a bad thing, but I could hear shouting on the other line.

"NO! Will you please just listen to me!?" Alaine exclaimed over the phone. As I watched her expression, I saw her angry face grow saddened and soon enough, without another word, she slammed the phone back onto the receiver. She just stood there, looking depressed at the phone and I knew something was wrong.

When she finally walked back into the dining room, I noticed the light in her eyes was out. Oh, what did her mother say to her?

"I'm sorry, Annette, Charlotte, but I need to be excused from the rest of dinner," she said with a low voice. "Goodnight."

And with that, she walked out of the room, and based on her footsteps, she ran up the stairs until we heard a loud "SLAM!"

I quickly got up from my seat as well and turned to my mom. "Sorry, but I need to see that she's OK," I said.

And with that, I wasted no time running up the stairs.

* * *

**_The Guest Bedroom..._ **

I ran up to the guest bedroom, where my mom had placed her for the time being, and slowly opened the door. The room was dark, mostly since it was nighttime and I looked towards the bed to see Alaine's figure.

The sight broke my heart.

Though her head was buried deep in the pillows, I could hear her loud sobs and whimpers throughout the whole room. I honestly hoped that her face itself wasn't as torn up as it was when I got her from the park. Though the bruises when down, emotional scars don't.

I walked slowly towards her and gently rubbed her back soothingly, hoping to coax her head from the pillows.

It worked. I kept rubbing her back, but eventually, she let me hold her. I adjusted my body so that her tears wouldn't get on me and a tail wouldn't show up unexpectedly.

After a little while, she managed to calm down and look up at me. I turned on the lamp beside the bed and saw her eyes were red and puffy, and the lights were out in her eyes. Looks like I'm going to have to turn them back on.

"Alaine," I was just going to cut to the chase, "what did your mother say to you?"

She started shaking a little bit, but she shook her head furiously as if to say to herself to get a grip.

"She demanded that I come back home," Alaine stated, no emotion in her voice yet, "she kept telling me that she had this big meeting coming up and I needed to help her. And I kept telling her no, that I refused to return to that...place! It never felt like home since I was little, more like a prison. And when I just tried to get her to listen... She said that I was her little bitch. That _**she**_ decided when I left and came home! She could do whatever she wanted to me because she was the one paying the bills and taking care of me. And that because of my bastard father, that's why I'm so manipulative and always wanting attention, and that being the one to take me home from the hospital was one of the most unfortunate events of her life and that I should be thankful that I even exist at all!

How can you say that to your daughter? Just...how?"

I was asking the same thing as I listen to my friend. I may not have been a parent, but it was one thing to want them to come home, but what her mother said had crossed the line!

Alaine was the poster child for "Perfect Daughter" and clearly, she must've have been switched at birth if she ended up with a witch-like that for a mother! I looked at Alaine's eyes, and her light still hadn't come on.

Suddenly, I had an idea!

I left Alaine's side for one minute and left the room. And when I came back, I had my journal and my guitar with me and sat back down beside her.

"You know, when I first wrote this, it was the day I got this journal. I wrote it because I felt sad and depressed and I felt that a lot because before I moved here. And then," I looked at Alaine," I met you...and you inspired me. The song is called "You're Not Alone" ."

I gently ran my fingers through the guitar strings before I started to play.

_Life doesn't tell you where to go_

_Or who you're ever going to meet along the way_

_Life doesn't ever you_

_Or decide which path is truly yours to take_

_But who am I to question_

_My faith_

_My heart_

_My love_

_Sometimes you just got to stand up and believe_

_That you'll be okay even if it's not right away_

_Oooh_

_And I'll show you_

_That no matter what_

_You're Not Alone (x4)_

_And I'll be standing there with you_

I took a moment to look at Alaine and I saw something stirring in her eyes. Now, to sing the next part.

_You are brave_

_You are strong_

_And you know who you are_

_Your light's bright_

_So bright_

_You can light up the room_

_With that smile_

_But sometimes you just got to stand up and believe_

_That you'll be okay even if it's not right away_

_Oooh_

_And I'll show you_

_That no matter what_

_You're Not Alone (x4)_

_And I'll be standing there with you_

I could practically feel a smile on her face before it even appeared. There was a spark in her eyes, but it seemed like I had to fuel it some more.

_When you need a shoulder to cry on_

_You know that I'll be there_

_Wherever_ _, whenever_

_When it feels like the weight of the world_

_Is too strong_

_I'll carry it with you_

_When darkness comes out and tries to conquer your world_

_You'll never have to think about it_

_'Cause I'll be there to help you see it through_

_You're Not Alone (x2)_

_Oooooh_

_You're Not Alone! (x4)_

_Oooooh_

_You're Not Alone..._

When I had finished the last note, I didn't even have time to register it until I felt Alaine's arms squeezing me like an octopus. But I liked it, even if it meant that I managed to put a smile back on her face. I tightly returned the hug and I heard her softly laughing.

When we pulled apart, my inside was doing a little happy dance when I saw the light fully return to her eyes.

"Char, that was...AMAZING! And you wrote that yourself?" she asked in surprise as she found the song in my journal and looked over it."You are outdoing me in the musical department, I'm sorry, but it's true! Please stay with me through choir, I need you!"

She looked up and started to give me her infamous puppy-dog eyes and I shook my head. Only she can go from sad and depress to happy and energetic in a matter of minutes. This crazy girl...

I set my guitar down. "Trust me, this was written on a bad day. It's not worth the time of day anyway. But it feels good to finally get this out, considering how my day went..."

Alaine looked at me like a child eagerly engaged during story-time.

" _OOOH,_ tell me!" Alaine said excitedly, "what happened!?"

I laughed at her energetic facial expression and proceeded to tell her how Riley embarrassed me at work and how I **_finally_** gave in to his demands for a date.

Her expression was funny and then she started squealing like a little school girl! She stated, no, _proclaimed,_ that she was going to find me the perfect outfit for my date and I almost didn't have the heart to tell her how it was a "surprise date".

But that even got her more excited and I guess we spent the rest of the night talking.

And that's when I realized:

Not only did I have a best friend, I think I have a sister as well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And in case you guys were wondering about the song and trying to look it up, I just wanted to tell you guys that "You're Not Alone" was an original song written by...ME! I'll admit, I was inspired by Rachel Platten's "Fight song' and Taylor Swift's "Fifteen" and felt that this would make a good song to have Charlotte sing to Alaine. Will I add more original songs? I don't know, but tell me what you think!


	27. Camping on Channel Islands Part 1

_**September 26th, 2009, Saturday...** _

_**At Charlotte's house...** _

**Charlotte's POV**

You know, I learned a long time ago that promises were sacred, nearly as much as secrets are. And no, my current situation has nothing to do with this! I just so happen to be walking proof of how valuable both promises and secrets are.

So tell me: Why oh why did I decide to agree to go camping with Alaine...on an island of all places?!

Don't see the problem? Well, it started like this...

**_Flashback..._ **

**_September 23th, 2009, Wednesday..._ **

_I and Alaine had just walked into the school building, well more like strutting in really. I had let my dear best friend take a look into my closet and the next day, she made me take out my savings from the restaurant and took me out shopping._

_Alaine wore an orange off-the-shoulder top with a white tank top underneath, a white pair of leather shoes, a brown rope-belt, and an orange flower crown to go in her long curled-up hair, along with a few brown-roped bracelets._

_I, on the other hand, wore a sleeveless, paisley-print, tie-up shirt with a dark magenta, lace skirt with a pair of flats with black polka dots. My hair was in a bun with a black headscarf with white polka dots on it. This leads me to believe that I should never allow Alaine to have too much fun picking out my clothes, no matter how good they look on me._

_"Why do I get the feeling someone's watching me?" I asked her as we made our way to the lockers. No matter how beautiful my mother tells me I am, there will always be a part of me that is slightly insecure about my looks, even if I do admit I look gre_ _at._

_Alaine laughed at my expense. "Char, you have no idea how gorgeous you are, don't you? That feeling you're getting is the attention of the male population at school! I know **I** look good, but the clothes I picked out plus your height **plus** your beauty **equals** some hot guys coming your way in the future."_

_I glared at her for the logic. If having Riley after me wasn't enough, random guys coming up to me and trying to talk to me was **waaaaaayyyyyy** out of proportion._

_"Honestly, Al, you are sometimes the most unbearable girl on the planet."_

_"Yeah, but you love me too much to let me go, so suck it up!" Alaine said cheerfully. I could only chuckle at the small happy dance she was starting to do._

_"So is that why you want me around? To make sure I keep you from becoming a hermit?" I asked teasingly. She looked at me, this time producing a glare of her own._

_"Oh, very funny, why I_ _outta-"_

_"Hey, Charlotte!"_

_Alaine and I turned around to see Damon, Domonique's brother, right behind us. I learned earlier that though he went to a different school, he was his sister's ride on the way here. I was thankful to see that the bruises he had gotten from the mall had disappeared._

_"Oh, hey Damon, I see the bruises are gone," I said cheerfully. He smiled sheepishly and scratched the back of his head nervously._

_"Thanks, though as expected, my mom blew her top when she found out though. But I think telling her that I was defending you eased on her," he said._

_"OI! Damon!" Alaine exclaimed excitedly. "Do you think Char's beautiful?"_

_"ALAINE!" I exclaimed, smacking her on her shoulder. Did she have to put that out there!_

_"Not really-"_

_"Why thank you, Damon-"_

_"I think she's gorgeous!" he said with a gleeful smile._

_"And I hope you burn in hell, Damon," I said sourly at him while Alaine was giving me a look. I started to turn away but he gently grabbed my arm and looked towards Alaine._

_"Excuse me, but do you mind...?" he trailed, probably hoping that she got the message. And unfortunately for me, she did. She gave me a smirk and walked off from us._

_I took a deep breath. "Yes, Damon?" I asked. He looked at me all nervous and took multiple breaths before asking,_

_"Well, I know our first meeting didn't turn out well, but I figured that if you were free sometime, that maybe we could go out to a movie or something?"_

_Behind us, I heard a range of giggles coming from Alaine, who I have enough knowledge to know will talk my head off about this._

_But let's explore my options here: I have an already busy schedule being a reincarnated mermaid who works and then goes to training until dinnertime, I practically have softball practice and choir a majority of the week, and add in the unknown mystery date with Riley who gave me no choice but to accept!_

_So call me a hypocrite, but I'm tired._

_"Sure, but I don't know when I'll be available," I said. Call me crazy, but this is technically the first time someone sincerely has asked me out and if Riley gets mad, well I'll be damned!_

_Damon gave me a grateful smile, with his teeth showing, and pulled out a small piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to me._

_"Don't sweat it, you're not the busy only one. Give me a call and we'll work out the rest."_ _I smiled at him._

_"Sure!"_

_He smiled at me one last time before walking away. I turned around to see a very happy Alaine grinning so wide I was sure it wouldn't fit her face._

_She squealed "See! You're already getting dates and they're eating right out the palm of your hand! Though I'm surprised Damon hadn't asked you out sooner or Riley wasn't just 'randomly' walking by slow enough to hear you two."_

_I looked down at the paper before opening it to see Damon's number. "I highly doubt it was either of the two. He was grounded, and last I checked, dating was under the list of things you can't do under punishment."_

_"So, are you going to go out with him?" she asked me._

_"To be honest, when I get a free schedule, yes. But if I know Riley by much, when I do, he'll use that as our date," I admitted. So two dates from two guys, one who seems nice while the other is a jerk. These are the times I wonder what luck I have in my life._

_Alaine laughed at my dilemma as we got to our lockers._

_"Who knows, if our God favors you, you can probably be one of the women who have multiple husbands. You'll be living the dream!" she said with a laugh, which resulted in my playfully hitting her._

_As we opened our lockers, I noticed a card fall out of Alaine's._

_"And you say I'm the only one attracting a guy's attention," I teased. She stuck her tongue out at me before picking it up and reading the cover._

_"' **A picture is worth a thousand words, so what does this picture say about you** '," Alaine read with a smile before opening the card and pulling out a picture._

_Only that smile turned into a deep frown as she took it out. Feeling my "big sister" senses going off, I stood next to her and looked at the picture._

_I wanted to burn it on sight._

_Though it wasn't personally up close, I recognized the picture. It was the day I found Alaine at the park._

_However, the picture was close enough to see how broken she looked, the tears in her eyes as well as the bruise. Alaine turned the picture around and read_

_"' **Sometimes it's better to be alone than be with anyone else. There's no one else to tell you your pathetic better than yourself oxoxox Willow & Tessa!**_ _'"_

_That's it!_

_I ripped the picture from Alaine's hands and tore it up piece by piece. It's one thing to abandon someone, but to constantly remind them of that sickened me to no end. I have to live with what happened in Australia, but anything similar I won't tolerate!_

_I'll make sure to get back at those two when I can!_

_I looked at Alaine, who was shocked at my brief action. What? Did she want to keep a reminder of that?_

_She looked at me and said, "Now I know better than to make you mad."_

_Ha! If only she knew what happened last year..._

_"I'm sorry, but that just made that note just so...I don't even know how to describe that! But now, we need to do something. And me destroying the evidence was bad enough," Charlotte said, rubbing the back of her neck._

_Alaine just shook her head sadly. "Just forget about it..."_

_"Shut it!" I exclaimed, "I know you too well by now. You'll try to brush it off like it's nothing and then when your alone, you'll cry your eyes out. So tell me what I can do to prevent that!"_

_Alaine looked at me wide-eyed before taking a moment to think about it._

_Then she spoke, "Well, how about..."_

**_Flashback ends..._ **

Now that I think about this, she probably planned this for a while and I gave her the golden opportunity!

Now here I am, in my bedroom, finishing packing a bag worth of overnight clothes and a sleeping bag. I honestly hope that there is some higher being is in my favor because I wish that I might not have to go into my mermaid form during the trip. Because if there's a God, then he knows my luck with camping trips.

I shuddered at the memories as a shiver went through my spine.

"Char, are you ready yet?!" I heard Alaine exclaim loudly from the other side of my door. I shook my head as I heard the hyper-activeness in her voice. I knew Alaine was a nature girl, but I swear if camping is the only thing that makes her happy, then she's going to be the death of me.

"I'm heading down there now!" I yell as I grabbed my camping bag and left the room.

When I got downstairs, I found Alaine setting breakfast down on the table while, from a distance, I was preparing our lunch for the overnight trip.

She wanted to come as well, but since dogs weren't allowed on the campsites, hence why Thomas wasn't coming, she decided to stay behind to watch him.

"Morning, Char! Are you ready for...Ever!?" Alaine asked in an over-excited tone.

And me playing the older sister role to her, simply stated: "No, and you conned me into this."

Alaine snorted at my comment and stated "Well you did say ' _So tell me what I can do to prevent that!_ '. So in my defense, you brought this on yourself when you wanted to cheer me up!"

"And I regret it deeply," I said as I sat down at the table.

"Party Pooper!"

"Nature Freak!"

"Buzz Kill!"

"Screech Queen!"

I heard Alaine give an over-dramatic gasp and the next thing I know, I feel her wrap her arm around my neck and held it there tightly.

"Take it back, take it back, take it back!" she chanted as she held my neck. Though she knew I was joking, she still found the name I picked out rather than insulting.

"N..N...Ne...Ve...Ne...Never!" I chocked, trying to break her grip from me. And if I didn't, I'm pretty sure she would end up chocking me for real here!

"Alright you two, break it up! I swear, it's like having two children with you!" my mom said as came into the dining room with a small cooler which I assumed was our You, Mom!

Laughing, Alaine released her grip on me.

"But seriously Char, you act like camping is some big, bad omen for you or something," she said as she took a seat and started to eat breakfast, pancakes to be specific.

"It's not an omen, per se, it's just that nothing good happens when I do go camping," I replied.

"Oh come on, you spent the night with me and the girls at the beach, and nothing happened!" Alaine retorted.

 _No, nothing happened, except I found the artificial moon pool that turned me into a mermaid again and you nearly got turned as well!_ I thought in my head.

"Yeah, but that was different. I've mostly gone places with jungles and stuff like that-"

"Only once!" my mother interjected.

"Yeah, but still, we're on a more open island, so I don't want to take any chances," I stated before I took a bite of my food.

"Speaking of islands, have you too decided where you're going?" my mom asked. She was skeptical about me going off somewhere completely foreign without adult supervision and she couldn't get there fast enough in case something went wrong, but she trusted us.

Plus, dogs weren't allowed on the ferry, hence why Thomas couldn't come, so she's watching him.

Alaine started to explain "We decided to go on the Channel Islands National Parks. We specifically picked Santa Rosa Island because it has great wildlife, beautiful scenery, hiking/backpacking trails, and a lot of fun stuff to do. We would go to the beach, but Char refuses to anything water-related."

I felt her glaring at me and looked up before defending myself "Hey, I told you that you could go snorkeling, kayaking, or whatever, but I wanted nothing to do with that!"

Alaine was about to answer me back, probably with a smart-aleck comment, but my mom stopped her.

"Alright, alright, so you have disagreements about what you want to do," mom intervened," but give me some insight on how you're getting to the island."

"Alright, so the drive from her to Santa Barbra is an hour and a half, and the ferry, based on the schedule I printed out, should take at least 3 hours. After that, I and Char are going to settle at one of the camping sites. After that, we may start hiking around and take pictures of the wildlife, or in Char's case, sketch them, and if we make it to the beach, have lunch there. And if we still have time to kill, and I have my way, we can just chill out there and I can go snorkeling. By nightfall, we'll head back to our tent and sleep it off until tomorrow," Alaine concluded.

Even my mom was surprised by our planning. "Alright, since you know what you're doing, stand up so I can see you two."

We all got up from our seats and mo looked at our wardrobe attire. Alaine was wearing a simple blue t-shirt with shorts and sneakers. I was wearing a t-shirt as well and jeans. I also added a jacket since I learned how windy it could get during the ride.

"Alright," my mom approved, "now, you got your clothes?"

"Yes," we both said in sync.

"Swimwear?"

"Yes."

"Towels."

"Yes."

"Cameras?"

"Yes."

"Your leisure things?"

"Yes."

"Sunblock?"

"Yes."

"Bug spray?"

"Yes."

Money and the boarding pass?"

"Yes." Alaine took care of those things with care.

"Your phones in case of emergency?"

"Yes."

"And I packed your lunch and placed it in a small cooler to carry easily. Understand?"

"Yes."

"And a rape whistle?"

"Yes, mo- Wait a minute? A what?" I looked in her in shock.

She gave me an impassive look. "What? Two young girls alone on a trip together, anyone would try to take advantage of you and-"

"MOM!" I exclaimed," just trust us! I'm almost 18 years old. You don't have to worry about us like you're sending us on a mission to our deaths. It's just an overnight trip. You'll see us tomorrow!"

Perhaps I was too harsh, but she can't keep babying me forever. Plus, I have powers now. No one will **_dare_** lay a hand on Alaine on my watch!

I watched as my mom sighed and hugged us both.

"Can't blame me for worrying. My baby is leaving the nest," she said with a small smile.

I blushed at her wording and remembered the talk we had those nights ago. "Sorry mom, but I promise that we'll be safe and sound."

My mom hugged us again for a little longer and I couldn't help but notice how Alaine practically fell into my mother's embrace. And I knew the reason why.

* * *

**(Written by Return to Neverland, edited by ME!)**

_**At Channel Islands' National Park Ferry Service... an** _

_**2 hours later...** _

"Hurry up Char! I don't want to miss the boat!" Alaine shouted at me as we both exited my mom's car. There was slightly heavy traffic, so the car ride took longer than expected.

Racing ahead of me, as I said a quick thanks and goodbye to my mum as she drove off.

"Wait up Alaine! The boat isn't leaving yet!" I called out, as I raced to catch up to my energetic and paranoid sister.

After Alaine's mother called her last week and practically told her she regretted ever giving birth to her, I knew that she meant more to me than just being my best friend. We were sisters, family. And family doesn't leave the ones they love to get treated like she was.

That's why against everything sane I agreed to go on a trip with Alaine to the Channel Islands National Park. On a boat!

Which is now why I am currently getting hounded by Alaine to "Get my tail moving!"

Hahaha, I had to suppress a laugh at the irony in her choice of words.

We finally made it to the docks where we were to be boarding the boat when she finally stopped her paranoia of missing the boat.

"There," I chuckled as we set our stuff down, "we're here. You can stop stressing now that we're not going to miss the boat."

Alaine let out a sigh. "I know, I know. But I'm just so excited, my mom never let me do things like this."

A frown then fell over Alaine's at the mention of her mom. I went over to her and wrapped my arms around her in a great big hug, trying to cheer her up.

"Hey, don't worry about her. We're here to have fun and that's exactly what we are going to do," I smiled at her.

"Your right. We are going to have a fantastic day with just you, and me. And NO psychotic, bitch of a mother!" She exclaimed.

"And no Rileys," I added, which was met with a series of giggles from Alaine that I joined in on.

Now all I had to worry about was being accidentally splashed from being water bound on a boat.

 _ **Just great**!_ But at least it made Alaine smile. But that was the whole point of this trip: To help Alaine forget about her bitch of a mother.

No matter how much I disliked this trip.

"Now how about you get on the boat I'll be up in a minute. I just need to make a quick pit stop at the bathroom."

"Okay. See you in a sec!" she smiled before skipping onto the ferry, her tie-dye bag swing along with her as she grabbed our stuff and boarded the boat.

I quickly went to the single restroom locking the door behind me. After relieving myself, I made my way to the sink to wash my hands when my phone started to ring. I checked the caller ID only to see an unknown number. I wonder who it could be?

"Hello, Charlotte speaking. Who is this?" I asked.

"Hello, Charlotte speaking. It's your one true love speaking!" a male voice answered in a sickly-sweet voice.

What the Hell!

"Who is this?" I exclaimed. My mind was 60 mph trying to find out if this was a prank call and not who I think it is!

" **Oh, no one, just a sexy lifeguard, who has a thing for beautiful Australian waitresses** ," the voice answered. I froze and my eyes widened.

Oh no.

_Oh no._

**_Oh no._ **

**_OH NO!_ **

"RILEY!" I yelled into the phone.

" **Took you long enough. You know I'm surprised you didn't realize it was me. I thought you wouldn't forget the sound of my voice. I'm hurt, Charlotte** ," Riley replied, with a mock tone of hurt.

I let out another groan of annoyance before placing my phone I between my shoulder and my cheek so that I could wash my hands quickly, and more importantly, dry them quickly.

"How did you even get my number? You little stalker!" I exclaimed. It seems I spoke too soon when I said "no Rileys" before.

" **I have my ways and means** ," he teased. I swear, the next time I see him, I'm slapping him!

Why does he have to be so persistent? I don't have time for him right now.

"Brendan gave it to you, didn't he?" I groaned. It is like having an annoying little brother with him. The little...Uuuggghhh! Giving Riley my phone number, oh he is going to get it when I see him on Monday!

Before Riley has time to answer I turn the tap on to wash my hands and get sprayed in the face and all over with water.

"Oh great," I said, and twenty seconds later, I'm on the restroom floor in my tail, "OUCH!"

" **Charlotte, are you okay?** " Riley asks, clearly concerned.

"Yep just fine," the sarcasm evident in my voice. I turn to see my tail, flipping it like a fish out of water. Huh, I'm full of puns today, aren't I?

"Look I've got to go Riley. Bye!"

" **No wait, Char** -" but I don't get to listen to the rest of what he has to say before I end the call. Now time to dry myself before I miss the boat.

I curled my hand up and quickly dried myself before bolting out of the toilet, running as fast as my feet could take me. I made it to the docks and saw the ferry sailing off into the distance.

Now that's just bloody wonderful! Stupid bladder, stupid broken tap, and most of all, stupid Riley! Now, what am I going to do?

And then it hit me. I had a tail for Pete's sake! And it's a good thing I left my stuff with Alaine and I got my phone water-proofed!

I looked over my shoulder making sure that nobody was looking my way, then I jump off the pier and into the ocean.

* * *

I swam at full speed trying to catch up to the boat. I knew I had 3 hours until we got to the island, but I wasn't stupid enough to pop up out of the water where people could see me. Nope, Jonathan would have my head for that!

So when I felt I was a safe distance away from it, I finally let myself rest and take in the beauty of the ocean around me.

It was truly amazing. Not even pictures could capture this!

The ocean was nearly crystal blue, I couldn't count on my fingers how many different types of fish I saw swimming past me, and I could see the kelp forest below me, and I couldn't help by being reminded of a certain jungle.

Despite that it was open water, I'm pretty sure it was the most beautiful sight I've ever seen. I could hear whales singing in the distance, just like Brendan taught me. And if I know Alaine, she's probably gawking at whales while muttering about how they might become endangered, etc, etc.

It was the most amazing feeling since...ever. I hadn't gone swimming like this since I got my tail back. Nothing could ruin this. No mermaid lessons, no immortal mermaid trying to end the world, not even Cleo and the girls could ruin it.

I swam leisurely through the kelp forest, carefully keeping tabs on the ferry at all times from below. It was so relaxing. I decided to go to the surface for air.

That's when I heard the most frightening sound known to Man. A sound that stopped me in my tracks, or rather, fins.

A Dolphin!

I was frozen with fear as I saw, this can't be happening. First Riley calls, then I get water on me and grow a tail in the bathroom, then I miss the ferry. And now I'm about to be murdered by a dolphin.

Maybe if I start swimming, it'll go away. So I start swimming as fast as I can in my state of panic. Which isn't very far because I'm practically paralyzed with fear.

Oh God, now it following me! Jumping in and out of the water, pretending to be playful before it attacks. Ughh, now it's showing its fangs before it bites me. Then it dives down and grabs a shell from the ocean floor.

I make my way to the surface, hoping that it will deter the thing from coming any closer. I was wrong.

The little creature pops up right next to me. The shell in its mouth, then it opens up its jaw and throws the shell. I close my eyes, This is the end. Goodbye cruel world, it seems only fitting I leave this world the same way my father did. I can see the headlines now:

_ **"MERMAID WASHED UP ONSHORE. PROBABLE CAUSE OF DEATH: KILLED BY DOLPHIN!"** _

But then...nothing happened.

I scrunch my nose up and slowly open up one eye. The dolphin is making clicking noises in front of me, nudging a shell towards me with its nose.

Huh, it's not trying to eat me?

I eye the beast off before hesitantly grabbing the shell and throwing it away from me. The dolphin swims and clicks away merrily before grabbing the shell and throwing it back at me. A smile graces my face, before I create a water bubble, softly solidifying it with my new power, which Lewis un-creatively calls Bella-Jelly, after the new mermaid the girls had let into their circle.

Using my powers, I then throw the ball out into the water. The dolphin swims quickly and catches it in his mouth, before throwing it back.

I let out a laugh, who would have thought that, out in the middle of a kelp forest, I would be playing catch with a dolphin? After years of fearing the creatures, because 1,000 to 1 attack that killed my father. And now I've finally gotten over my fear.

After dissolving the ball, my new dolphin friend and I begin making our way towards the ferry that has begun to dock into the ferry terminal. Seeing a secluded beach nearby, I take hold of my new friend's dorsal fin and he rockets me to shore.

As soon as I get on dry land, I used my heat powers to dry myself off before running towards the ferry terminal.

I make my way through the crowd, and find Alaine by her tie-dye bag and our stuff. She notices me quickly and pretty much tackles me to the ground.

"Charlotte! Where the Hell have you been? I've been looking everywhere for you!" she shrieks. I couldn't help but laugh and push her off me before we got back on our feet.

I decided to play it cool. I can't have her catching on to anything, so I lead her out of the terminal and make our way to the campgrounds near the beach. I explained that I was looking everywhere for her and that Riley's call had distracted me.

"Well next time, you can wait to use the bathroom on the ferry so that I don't lose you!" she exclaims.

"Don't worry, I won't let you out of my sight either," I chuckle.

"Sure, because I'm the one that went missing," Alaine retorted until she looked behind me and squealed, "Wow, look at that!"

I turn to see a dolphin doing backflips and tricks right in front of us.

My dolphin.

"Looks like we made a friend!" Alaine said excitedly.

"Yeah, it looks like we did," I smiled.


	28. Camping on Channel Islands Part 2

_**Previously...** _

_So tell me: Why oh why did I decide to agree to go camping with Alaine...on an island of all places?!_

...

_"'_ ** A picture is worth a thousand words, so what does this picture say about you ** _'," Alaine read with a smile before opening the card and pulling out a picture._

...

"' **Sometimes it's** **bet** **ter** **to be alone than be with anyone else. There's no one else to tell you your pathetic better than yourself oxoxox Willow & Tessa!**'"

_..._

_ "Shut it!" I exclaimed, "I know you too well by now. You'll try to brush it off like it's nothing and then when your alone, you'll cry your eyes out. So tell me what I can do to prevent that!" _

...

_"Speaking of islands, have you too decided where you're going?" my mom asked. She was skeptical about me going off somewhere completely foreign without adult supervision and she couldn't get there fast enough in case something went wrong, but she trusted us._

...

_Alaine started to explain "We decided to go on the Channel Islands National Parks. We specifically picked Santa Rosa Island because it has great wildlife, beautiful scenery, hiking/backpacking trails, and a lot of fun stuff to do. We would go to the beach, but Char refuses to anything water-related."_

...

_"Your right. We are going to have a fantastic day with just you, and me. And NO psychotic, bitch of a mother!" She exclaimed._

_"And no Rileys," I added, which was met with a series of giggles from Alaine that I joined in on._

...

_"RILEY!" I yelled into the phone._

" **Took you long enough. You know I'm surprised you didn't realize it was me. I thought you wouldn't forget the sound of my voice. I've hurt Charlotte** ," _Riley replied, with a mock tone of hurt._

_..._

_"Oh great," I said, and twenty seconds later, I'm on the restroom floor in my tail, "OUCH!"_

_..._

_I looked over my shoulder making sure that nobody was looking my way, then I jump off the pier and into the ocean._

_..._

_That's when I heard the most frightening sound known to Man. A sound that stopped me in my tracks, or rather, fins._

_A Dolphin!_

_..._

_I let out a laugh, who would have thought that, out in the middle of a kelp forest, I would be playing catch with a dolphin? After years of fearing the creatures, because 1,000 to 1 attack that killed my father. And now I've finally gotten over my fear._

_..._

_I turn to see a dolphin doing backflips and tricks right in front of us. My dolphin._

_"Looks like we made a friend!" Alaine said excitedly._

_"Yeah, it looks like we did," I smiled._

* * *

_**On Santa Rosa Island...** _

**Charlotte's POV**

Alaine and I gathered our stuff as we met up with the ranger and walked 1.5 miles to the beach campground called Water Canyon.

"We have a variety of activities for you to enjoy," he said, "For those that I can see, there's backpacking, overnight camping, hiking, and photography. And for those interested in our more water-based activities, we have Swimming, Fishing, Diving, and Kayaking."

"And adding the fact that he's leading us to the beach must mean he's the instructor," Alaine whispered to me, "and a cute one at that too!"

Eyes widened, I got a good eyeful of the ranger, who looked to be in his mid-twenties, Caucasian, with a 5 o'clock shadow growing in the process.

And the fact that it looked like he was giving Alaine the "eyes" screamed out two paired of words.

The first: Jail-Bait

The second: Statutory-Rape

"Alaine, please remember your place in society and that you're still legally a minor. A fifteen-year-old minor, to be exact," I stated to her silently.

"Haha, very funny. You know, you need to loosen up a little bit. Show some skin. We're out camping, with consent from your mother of course, but still. Have fun for once!" Alaine said.

Oh yes, **_fun_**. _**Fun** _that has a really funny way of showing itself when it involves mermaids and self-destructing caves.

"Yeah, yeah. I can have fun. I'm just more for the nature-walking type of fun. What about you? You have been pretty hush-hush about your time here. What do you plan on doing?" I asked.

"Well Ms. Nature-Walk, I'm more on the aqua-based fun. Sure, I don't do fishing, but I can do swimming, kayaking, and more. Who knows? I might get the chance to test out my sea legs!" Alaine giggled.

"Didn't you get your turn on the boat?" I asked curiously.

" ** _No_** , because my pig-headed best friend had me scared to death!" she exclaimed, bumping me in the shoulder. I laughed.

We continued our hike down the sandy trail as everyone chatted amongst themselves and took pictures of the landscape around them. I always found it funny how, between me and Al, she was more of the photogenic child while I was the more observant child.

Randy, the ranger- HA! Randy the Ranger- gave everyone a brief history lesson of the island: Native Americans called the Chumas that lived on the island during the European contact, the archeologists finding the remains of inhabitants 8-12 thousand years ago, the land grants and more before leading to becoming a nature preserve and all the good stuff I'm sure Lewis would **_love_** to get his hands on!

An hour later, we found ourselves at a beach. And, just as the artistic side of me opened up, gasped in amazement as I stared at the sandcastle-tanned sand and the cerulean sea as the waves washed up the shores.

Beautiful.

I was halfway tempted to take my sketchpad and color pencils, but Alaine grabbed me and directed me towards the beach as the ranger started talking again.

"Alright, now seeing as Fall is almost here, the tide tends to go higher due to climate change. And, once Fall hits, any remaining campers will have to go up the terrain to the campground. But for now, I heavily advise that you set your tents up the shore to avoid being soaked in the current," he said.

And that was fine with me. The moment we hit the beach, I knew for sure Alaine wanted another camping trip on the beach. It would kill her not to!

But what I was not fine with was sprouting a tail in the spot where I'm most likely to get drenched. I swear, sometimes it's like Alaine knows my secret and wants to see the proof before her very eyes.

Eventually, the group broke off and I and Alaine started to, at the Ranger's suggestion and my own's, set up the tent away from the beach near some logs and grassy areas.

"Hey Char, do you mind going down there and seeing how long it takes until the kayaking thing starts?" Alaine asked me. I gave her a look.

"Are you sure this isn't some twisted way of getting rid of me so you can finish the tent?" I asked teasingly, crossing my arms. If I knew anything about my friend, it was that she tends to reek the stench of being an over-achiever.

Alaine rolled her eyes. "Haha, don't worry. I won't finish without you. Now go!"

Shaking my head, I walked down the beach where I saw several other tents being put up and a bunch of red kayaks is being set up.

I regretted ever leaving Alaine alone because of this.

You see, right as I was walking back to the tent, I stood their, gobsmacked, as a multi-colored, floral tent stood up proudly with a happy-go-lucky Alaine standing in front of it triumphantly.

"Alaine!" I exclaimed.

Said girl burst out into laughter at the look on my face and it was extremely tempting to create a water-ball and throw it at her.

 _ **Extremely tempting**_.

"I thought you said you were going to wait for me!?" I yelled at her as she started to calm down.

"I did, and then I got bored and well, I timed myself to see how fast I could set it up and the next thing I knew, I did," Alaine explained, not able to wipe the smile off her face.

I gave her my best death glare and she started laughing again.

"Oh, come on. Admit it! It's less work for you to do!" Alaine exclaimed.

True, she had a point there.

"Besides the point, we were supposed to be doing this together," I stated.

"Well, that's more fun for us!" Alaine exclaimed happily, clapping her hands together. I put my head in my hands and sighed.

I swear, it's like dealing with a 6-year-old when it comes to her.

"So, anyway, what time does the kayaking start?" Alaine asked me before going into the tent. Meanwhile, I got my art supplies out and sat on a log before finding a clean page to sketch on and began drawing.

"He said it would start in about 15 minutes. Oh, and I told him that if he wanted you with him to ' _keep an eye out on the eldest minor_ ', he had to keep his hands above the equator if he didn't want the police on his case," I said casually.

I heard a shriek and smirked.

"You're EVIL!" she exclaimed from inside the tent.

"But you love me, so get over it!" I called back.

However, during this exchange, my eyes were on the beach, started with the background of the waves, and hoping to work my way off to the skyline before going on land.

Suddenly, I heard footsteps and looked up to see Alaine come out in two-piece swimwear. It was a sky-blue, off-the-shoulder bikini with a wide ruffle with matching briefs. This left her mid-section and her legs showing, leaving nothing to the imagination.

I was _**so** _burning that when we get home.

"Really?!" I asked, incredulous at that outfit. It was like she was determined to prove me wrong!

"What? You don't think I look cute?" she asked innocently.

"I think you look like a skank," I stated honestly.

She gave me a fake pout. "Well, I'm going to get my swimming time on while you get your art-thingy on."

"I thought you felt strange swimming at the beach?" I asked curiously. I remembered that group outing where the girl practically told me that she got strange vibes whenever she took a step in saltwater.

But Alaine just shrugged her shoulders. "I feel them, true, but they vary from time to time. Just like now."

And with that, I watched my dear friend rushed into the waves and dive in.

Shaking my head, I smiled and continued drawing out the landscape.

Oh, what would I give right now to prove her wrong and dive in after her? HA! I bet if she saw how fast I can swim, she'd think TWICE about boasting about her swimming abilities!

I took a deep breath and inhaled the salty sea. I looked up and witnessed Alaine swimming like a pro out in the water. And dare I say it, she looked like she belonged out there. As if...

As if she was at peace.

You know, I already learned the hard way that there's a whole lot more to being a mermaid than just having powers and a tail. And I learned to accept it as is.

But what sucks is when you're all alone for it. Suddenly, the sea is just too big for one mermaid to handle and you want someone to stand beside you to see it through, to explore all the mysteries the ocean has to offer.

But I had my chance and screwed it.

Perhaps if I didn't find myself interested in Lewis, then I wouldn't have set myself up to find out about Gracie and the rest of that ugly mess.

Huh. And the funny thing is: It all started when I wanted to cheer him up that day.

_**Flashback...** _

_In Queensland..._

_I was walking along the beach, taking in the new sights around me._

_With my mom owning a restaurant and being a chef, more often than so, she and I were moving a lot around Australia, wherever the opportunity took us. So when she decided to move us to Queensland, I wasn't so surprised._

_It was a major city and a lot of customers would bring in a lot of service for her. And I was proud of my mom for that._

_But the only thing I disliked was moving from school to school. At my old school, Rosewood Secondary College, I was started to get a few friends before I got pulled away. Of course, my mom would ask me about my school life before moving._

_The last thing she wanted to do was separate me from a good school-life._

_But I made my peace with it. Besides, it's rather refreshing to not have to wear uniforms all the time._

_Eventually, I found myself walking along the beach when I saw a familiar head of blonde hair in front of me. Trying not to attract attention to myself yet startle him, I crept up close behind him and realized that it was Lewis._

_Um, what was it? Lewis Martin? Lewis McDonald?... On Yeah! Lewis McCartney! I remembered him from school and when he saw my painting on the beach the other day. He usually seemed so happy with that crooked smile of his._

_But now..._

_Now he looked so sad. His eyes were cast down and he just looked up ahead into the ocean. As if he lost something._

_Or someone._

_I remembered the first g_ _irl I met? Cleo, is it? Yes, Cleo was her name. The two seemed to be close. I wondered what had happened._

_Seeing the depressed look on his face wasn't doing either of us any better. And then a light bulb went off inside me!_

_And just like the sprinklers had hit me on my first day of school, I had an idea._

_Keeping my distance away from him yet keeping a good visual of his face, I quietly brought out my pencil and sketch paper and started drawing._ _The hair and facial features weren't that hard to do._

_However, his eyes were a different story._

_More than once, I had erased his eyes and started all over and started all over again, trying to convey all that aching sadness onto a sheet of paper._

_The life of an artist is never easy. Especially to those unknowingly receiving self-portraits._

_Finally, I was able to get his eyes right and rushed away as fast as I could._

_I can't wait to give this to him!_

_**Flashback ends...** _

Bring myself out of my musings, I looked up to see Alaine had disappeared. Startled, I looked around to see the kayaks were already in the water and recognized her two-piece amongst them.

And I smirked. Randy the Ranger was heeding my warning like a good, little boy. Shaking my head at the little joke I made, I looked down at my drawing...

And my eyes widened.

Did I draw this?

The drawing looked like it was a picture taken out of a camera. The Sun was radiating brightly due to the delicate coloring of yellow, white, orange, and red. The cerulean waves were extremely life-like, giving the seafoam a white, shiny complexion as if you could splash right into it. And the sand was warm and tan, making me feel as if I had walked off of one beach and on to another. And the main thing that caught my eye was Alaine. Her face was filled with joy and happiness that I couldn't help but smile for her as well. Surprisingly, her swimwear was different. Her top was looked a lot similar to my top when I'm in my other form. And as for the bottom...!

My eyes widened as I took a closer into the bottom-half Alaine's body in the picture.

No way! No...that couldn't be possible!

It just couldn't be!

Was...was that...?

Was that a tail?

* * *

By the time Alaine returned from her kayaking trip, I had returned from my nature hike with various pictures and drawings, not to mention trying to forget what I drew this afternoon.

It was starting to get late and sunset was forming.

Not that its everlasting beauty would ever get this afternoon's image out my head.

Seriously?! Out of all things to draw, I had to draw Alaine being a mermaid! Seriously!? What have I ever done to deserve that? What has _she_ done? After what happened during that last over-night trip, putting Alaine in my position is more of a curse than it is a blessing at any time! Alaine would never become a mermaid! _Not then!_ _**Not now!** **NOT EVER!**_

I barely made it with her the first time Marana nearly lured her into that moon pool. I'll be damned if that ever happened again!

"Hey, Busy Body," Alaine called, "see you're out of La La Land!"

I snorted. "Funny you say that, seeing as you left without telling me goodbye."

"Oh please! You were too wrapped into your little drawing to even hear me!" Alaine exclaimed, "besides, how was your little nature hike?"

"It was good. Between drawing the flora and taking pictures of the Fauna, I'd say I had enough to make a scrapbook when we get home," I stated.

And I wasn't wrong either.

Because I had a large amount of free time to myself- which I have never had since all the mess that became my life- I got loads of artistic details down and practiced my photography skills.

"So, how was your kayaking trip?" I asked teasingly. I didn't have to ask when I received a glare from my best friend.

"What the hell did say to him? I was just starting to get him interested and now he'll barely look at me!" she exclaimed.

I smiled triumphantly. "And that's the point! I promised my mom that no guys would try to attack us and I kept my word. He should know better than to be eyeing a minor. And I'm sorry, but all he was screaming was ' _Jail-Bait_ '."

Seeing the logic behind my reasoning, Alaine gave out a small pout before going into the tent and changing into her nightclothes.

Meanwhile, I pulled out the cooler Mom packed for us and we began eating.

"So, will you show me some of your drawings?" Alaine asked.

I nodded. "Sure, but I'm warning you: I'm not as Picasso or Di Vinci either."

"That's okay. I'm more of a Pop Art fan anyways," she said.

"Really?"

Suddenly, a smirk fell on her face and I knew I had said something wrong.

"Draw me like one of your French girls, Jack," Alaine stated dramatically while trying to place herself in a sexy pose. Or what she _thought_ was sexy.

...

After a moment of silence between us, we both didn't know how to respond to that.

But when **_I_** did...

... I ended up bursting with laughter, tears streaming down my face.

"D-d-did y-you j-j-just q-quote Titanic?!" I cracked up as she joined me and we laughed like there was no tomorrow. And considering that we had a long day, perhaps that was what we needed.

A good laugh.

* * *

**3rd POV**

Charlotte woke up that evening and looked at her phone.

_**12:15 a.m.** _

Smiling, she looked towards Alaine, who was sleeping safe and sound in her sleeping bag, before getting out of hers and sneaking out of the tent.

Looking around, she took off her clothes and neatly placed them on a log along with a towel. She didn't need Alaine to wake up and come back to see a search party looking at her.

Dressed in her underclothes, she looked up at the night sky and was amazed at the starry night she was having. She almost wished Alaine could join her.

_Almost._

Taking a deep breath, Charlotte rushed into the sea, jumping into the waves before diving in.

Once she felt her tail her form, she zoomed off into the deep, twisting and twirling, spinning, performing various loop de loop and cycles, things she picked up while training with the Coves.

She was so glad she could finally burn off this desire to jump in the ocean like she's always felt while on land. True, she could have done it while Alaine was away, but she wasn't sure she was ready to risk exposure in broad daylight.

This wasn't Queensland where diving into the ocean was common and people would turn a blind eye to it.

No.

This was an island, a Nature Preserve in fact, where everyone had an eye watching them from somewhere.

But Charlotte was content with swimming until morning. How did that Peter Pan line go?

_"Second star to the right and straight on 'til morning."_

Oh yes, Charlotte would do just that until she had to swim back to shore!

If anything, she's willing to admit that this trip has had some unexpected yet bright outcomes since agreeing to come to Santa Rosa.

For starters: She's faced her fear of dolphins!

After years of fear, and her sad mistake back with Ronnie the Dolphin, she could now finally move on to being a real mermaid!

Name one mermaid that was scared of dolphins? Well, there are officially none now! Charlotte was free from that dreadful curse and nothing was holding her back!

Perhaps she has Alaine to thank for this. After all, it was her idea to come here in the first place. She deserved the credit!

And her secondary outcome was getting close to said girl and receiving a break they both heavily needed. Just time away from the real world.

Just time not to think about their problems.

Right then and there, they just needed each other.

With that happy thought in her head, Charlotte swam at speeds she'd never attempted before, going so far out only she knew how to return home.

But for now, she was at peace.

For now, she was happy.

_Thank You, Alaine._


	29. Is It The Calm Before The Storm? Part 1

_**September 27th, 2009, Sunday...** _

_**At Charlotte's house...** _

**Charlotte's POV**

"MOM! WE'RE HOME!" I yelled as Alaine and I entered through the front door.

We had just got back from the island an hour or two ago and decided to surprise my mom by hitching a ride and arriving home early.

It was silent in the house. No TV was on, running water or sizzling from the kitchen, and not even Thomas bulldozing his way to the front door to greet us.

Either something was wrong or my mom was not home.

Suddenly, we heard a scream.

"SHE IS MY DAUGHTER AND UNLESS YOU WANT THE POLICE OVER HERE, I WANT THE GIRL NOW!"

Startled, exchanging looks with Alaine, we dropped our stuff and headed into the dining room.

Running in there, I swore the temperature dropped a few degrees.

My mom was sitting on the left of the table, with her head down in her hands. Sitting across from her on the other side of the table, was an older-looking woman. Her hair was in a tight bun, wearing a tight, blue dress. She looked all business-like, but it was her face that made me aware of who she was.

After all, it was my best friend's face.

Andrea Williams.

"Mom, what is she doing here?" I asked, looking at her while standing in front of Alaine, blocking her from Andrea's view.

I watched as my mother lifted her head and turned to me, but couldn't look me in the eyes. I just knew I wasn't going to like this.

"Sweetie...I-" my mom was interrupted.

"I'm here to take my daughter home," Andrea said strictly, getting out of the chair and smoothing her tight dress. She gave me a glare that told me instantly that she meant business.

And I gave her one in return as I stood in front of Alaine. I could practically _**feel**_ the fear radiating off of Alaine and it made me even more determined to protect her.

"And that would be over my dead body!" I exclaimed. "Why would I hand over my best friend to an **_abusive, self-centered, egotistic SHE-DEVIL LIKE YOU! She's not your punch bag! She's a human being!_** "

It was silent, but tense between us as we gave each other our nastiest glares. I heard pawing and realized that Thomas was locked outside. No wonder I didn't get a warning.

It was all a blur to me, the next few moments.

One moment, my face was in Andrea's. The next moment, I'm on the hard floor, my cheek stinging like Hell, and my world slightly flashing before my eyes until I heard Alaine's screaming mixed with my mother's.

"COME BACK HERE THIS INSTANT! HOW **_DARE_** YOU HIT MY CHILD!" my mother yelled in her most ferocious tone. Not that I blame her.

What woman wouldn't be angry if a stranger touched their kid?

Getting off the floor as quick as I could, I ran out of the dining room and dashed out the front door.

I rushed past my mom and ran as fast as I could to get Alaine, but Andrea pushed me to the ground and slammed the car door shut. I got up and banged my hands onto the window, screaming and yelling. On the other side, Alaine was doing the same thing and also sprouting curses at her mother as well.

Just as Andrea got in the driver's seat and closed the door, she looked directly at me and my mom out the window and gave us her coldest glare.

"Listen here and listen good. This little tramp here is _**my**_ daughter, you hear me!? I'm her mother and I decide where she goes when she goes, who she hangs out with, and every single little thing she does. Now, you are going to go back to your business, or else I'll make sure it's _**YOU**_ that will be having the police knocking on your door. _**UNDERSTAND!?**_ "

Alaine was still banging on the window, crying her eyes out in heartbreak as Andrea rolled up her window, pulled out of the driveway, and drove off. I wanted nothing more than to chase after them, but I just collapsed instead.

I didn't even register the feeling of my mother's arms wrapping around me, brushing the hair from my face, shushing me as the tears fell down my face, telling me it was going to be okay. I knew she was trying to comfort me, but...

How could it when I just lost my sister?

* * *

_**September 28th, 2009, Monday...** _

**3rd POV**

Charlotte woke up empty that morning. That's the best she could describe it.

There was no laughter, sweet aroma filling her nose from the kitchen, or playful bickering either.

After getting dressed, she walked downstairs into the kitchen to see breakfast already made and her mother reading the newspaper.

When she looked up at her, she noticed that she had bags in her eyes.

Alaine's presence was more noticeable in the house.

All the spirited energy she held brightened up my home like a lighthouse on a dark ocean.

And now it's gone.

When Charlotte got to school, she checked through Domonique and the rest of the softball team, Choir, and Ms. Anelies to see if Alaine had come to school that morning.

But there wasn't a good answer.

By then, she slowly walked towards her locker, looking defeated, when she heard footsteps walking towards her. Looking up, she hoped that it was Alaine...

Only to see it was just Riley.

"Oh, it's you," she said rather glumly.

"Well, that was not the type of reaction I was expecting," he replied, now looking concerned, "You okay?"

"And why do you care?" she asked, not bothering to look at him as she got her things from her locker.

"Why wouldn't I? And where's your shadow? She's usually right behind you on everything?" Riley asked, not realizing the spot he hit.

"She's gone."

"Gone, like went away for a while? Look, I understand Alaine is your friend, but don't even girls want their alone time?" Riley asked, confused.

It took all Charlotte had to not strangle the guy in front of her.

So, instead, she snapped.

Charlotte slammed her locker loudly, making Riley jump, and glared at him.

"Oh, I wish!" she said sarcastically, "First off, my best friend didn't leave. She was taken by her psychotic, abusive mother! And now, I have no idea what's happened to her! She not at school, not answering ANY of my calls, and I don't even know where she lives, which makes me an even worse friend and..." Charlotte rambled, hating this situation more and more.

_**RRRRRRIIIIIINNNNNGGGGG!** _

"Listen, Riley, I need to get to class," she said, trying to walk past him, but she stopped her by grabbing her arm.

"Remember that 'surprise' date I wanted to take you? It's tonight!"

Her eyes widened at those words. Tonight? As in a school night? She had got back from an island camping trip and mourning a full night after crying over Alaine! Why would he choose tonight of all nights!?

"You're insane," she said, shaking her head, "it's a school night! What on Earth could be happening on a Monday night!?"

Riley chuckled "You'd be surprised. So, I'll come over to pick you up at 7:30 p.m."

_**RRRRRIIIIIINNNNGGGG!** _

"Whelp, I gotta go! See you tonight Char!"

And with that, he sped away from me and blended in with the rest of the students heading to class.

Leaving Charlotte to figure out: What just happened!?

* * *

_**At Charlotte's house, that evening...** _

Nerves started to build as Charlotte paced her. With Thomas watching her in confusion as she stopped for a minute then pace again.

"Thomas, I'm so nervous! I mean, I have been on dates before but that was with Lewis, but I was the one organizing them. What if I hate where he takes me? What if he introduces me to his friends and they don't like me? Or worse what if he stands me up and doesn't show up?" Charlotte asked Thomas, looking down at the protective Pitt bull.

Thomas then barked up at Charlotte and moved from the spot on the floor where he had been watching Charlotte pacing her bedroom. He then made his way over to Charlotte and nuzzled her leg.

This simple act seemed to calm Charlotte down, as she crouched down to pat her soul mate. Which she believed to be true and knew that if things didn't work out with Riley, at least Thomas would be with her.

"You're right, I'm just working myself up. He's said he would be here at 7:30, and that's ten minutes away," Charlotte said to Thomas with a smile.

Thomas then licked her neck before Charlotte pulled away, whipping off the slobber.

" _Urgh!_ Thomas!" Charlotte chucked. "You will ruin my makeup. Speaking of which, how do I look?" Charlotte asked.

Giving a pose so that Thomas could get a good look at her, Charlotte started showing off her brown faded gladiator shoes, a coral white dress that was trimmed with white lace that lined the top of her dress and bottom of it. It was tight at the waist which showed of her slim waistline, that fell to her knees.

Her now long, brown hair was up in a loose fishtail braid with loose pieces of hair framing her face. And to finish the ensemble, a collection of silver bangles with differing charms on each of them adorned her wrists with a silver seahorse necklace.

The pit bull looked up at Charlotte and gave her a look like he was smiling, before letting out a bark of delight.

"I take that to mean I look amazing" Charlotte smiled at him before his heart began to beat out of her chest when she heard a knock on the door downstairs, and her mum calls out.

"Charlotte, Riley's here!"

Charlotte then looked down at Thomas a little flustered before grabbing her phone and wallet, then checked the time.

"He's early!" Charlotte whispered to Thomas, freaked out.

"Charlotte!" Annette cried out again.

Charlotte then gave Thomas another freaked out yet excited look before saying "Wish me luck", and walked down the stairs to the front door, with Thomas trailing behind her then running past her and jumping up on Riley, almost tripping him over in the process.

"Thomas!" Charlotte yelled at him. "I'm so sorry Riley I don't know what came over him" Charlotte apologized before telling Thomas to go into her room until she left, which she knew he would do.

Charlotte then let out a laugh before turning her attention back to Riley who hadn't taken his eyes off her since he saw her come down the stairs.

"So..." Charlotte said shyly.

"So..." Riley replied, both not knowing what to say before there silent banter was interrupted by Annette.

"So, where are you taking my daughter?" Annette asked Riley bluntly, for the sake of her daughter's safety.

"Mum!" Charlotte exclaimed shyly, turning her attention to the floor.

"It's a surprise, Miss Watsford," Riley replied.

"And how long will you be at this surprise date?" Annette asked reluctantly to just let her daughter leave without intimidating Charlotte's date a little in the processes.

"What time would you like it to end?" Riley asked.

"Smart answer," Annette said with a smile. She had to give him some credit the boy was smart. "One. You can be back by one but if it's earlier, I will like you even more," Annette smiled.

"Ok Miss Watsford, one o'clock it is. Are you ready Charlotte?" Riley asked as he began to make his way out the door.

"Yeah I'm ready," Charlotte replied as she followed him outside the house.

"Cool! Well let's get going then," Riley said waiting just outside the house near the driveway.

Charlotte then turned to have her mum a hug before saying goodbye.

"Bye, Mum. See you tomorrow."

"Bye, I love you," Annette replied, as Charlotte walked out of the house.

And just before she closed the door she yelled out. "BE SAFE!"

Charlotte looked at the ground in embarrassment before facing Riley and asking the all-important question.

"So, where exactly are we going?"

Riley gave her a cheeky grin before passing her a helmet.

"You will just have to wait and see," he said.

Charlotte looked at him annoyed. "Riley, you know I hate surprises!" she said, pissed off.

They then began walking down Charlotte's driveway to the connecting rode.

"Okay, okay. We are going to a beach party," he replied.

"A beach party? Really! Like with your friends?"

"Yeah, is that a problem?" Riley asked.

"No. It's just what if they don't like me?"

Riley then let out a laugh before saying. "They're going to love you."

"If you say so," Charlotte said with a shrug. "Just one other question?"

"Yeah, what's that?" Riley asked.

"What is with the helmets?" Charlotte exclaimed, examining hers.

Riley laughed before saying "I'm glad you asked."

He then walked towards a white Vespa, gesturing to it before letting out a "TADA!"

Charlotte looked at the Vespa excited and a smile on her face, before walking over to the white Vespa and wrapping her arms around Riley's waist, who by now had started the Vespa up and was ready to go.

"You ready?" Riley asked turning his head around to see Charlotte.

"Yeah. But I'm kind of regretting wearing a dress now. I blame Thomas. He said it would be ok," Charlotte replied.

Riley laughed at her, before saying "Hold on!"

Then they were off the sun setting as they made their way towards Riley's beach party.

* * *

**Riley's POV**

"Paradise Cove," Charlotte asked, as I turned off the Vespa and climbed off, placing my helmet on the handle of the scooter.

"Yep," I told her. I bet she didn't expect the party to be here.

"Is there no other place to hang out?" Charlotte inquired.

I let out a laugh. God, this girl made me laugh! Not many people can make me do that, at least not the way she does.

"Riley!" Charlotte called out, breaking me from my trance.

"Oh, um, I don't know seems to be," I answered, keeping my cool the best I could.

"Well as long as I not over at the cafe working, I'm happy!" Charlotte said with a smile.

"I'm glad" I smiled.

"So let's, get this over with," Charlotte grunted as she hopped off my Vespa, and put her helmet on the seat.

"That's the kind of attitude I'm looking for!" I said sarcastically.

She then gave me one of her signature 'I'll-slap-you' looks, which I seemed to be on the receiving end of a lot of.

"You know what I mean," she tried to explain. I did, but I wasn't going to tell her that.

Before we began walking over to the group of people who were already started partying and were dancing to **_"_** _ **I Got A Feeling"** _by the Black Eye Peas around a bunch of logs, which they were going to burn once the sun had completely gone down.

** _I gotta feeling that tonight's gonna be a good night_ **   
** _That tonight's gonna be a good night_ **   
** _That tonight's gonna be a good, good night_ **

** _A feeling that tonight's gonna be a good night_ **   
** _That tonight's gonna be a good night_ **   
** _That tonight's gonna be a good, good night_ **

"I know what you mean. But don't worry, they are going to love you. And to be honest, I don't even know everyone here, so we are on the same page," I attempted to be comforting, but it didn't work.

"Okay then, here goes nothing," she sighed.

We slowly made our way over to the group, because I knew that Charlotte would want to take as long as possible before she had to meet my friends. But finally, we reached them and all eyes fell on her.

I then turned to face Charlotte, who was suddenly found the sand very interesting, before she tilted her head up towards me.

"Why is everyone staring at us?" Charlotte whispered to me.

It's like she doesn't even realize the effect she has on people. She doesn't even have to speak and she could control a room!

"They're not staring at us, Charlotte. They're staring at you."

"Why?" Charlotte huffed.

"Because your beautiful," I exclaimed, staring into her deep brown eyes.

I knew what would come next but I didn't care. And sure enough, not five seconds after I said it, Charlotte whacked me on the shoulder.

"Don't call me that!" She yelled at me.

"Sorry, but it's true," I said.

"Take it back, or I'll hit you again!" she threatened me, beginning to raise her hand again.

"Okay, okay, I take it back!" I said as I held my hands up in surrender.

"Good, now where is some food around here?" she asked.

"There's a table over there near the fire pit," I informed her.

"Oh great, I'm starving. If you need me you know where I'll be," she said with a wink, and she snuck over to the food table making sure that no one saw her.

"You're beautiful..." I let whispered to myself.

I don't know why she doesn't see it. Who made her feel like she was no good, like she didn't deserve to be complimented, and dare I say it, loved.

"Hey, Riley! You made it!" I heard get yelled at me.

I turned to see one of my friends Gary- Gaz, we called him- making his way over to me.

"Hey Gaz!" I said as I shook his hand. "Of course I made it"

"I'm glad you did, bro. Party wouldn't be any fun without ya!" Gaz exclaimed before he got distracted. "Whose that babe over there?"

"That's my girl," I informed Gaz, before looking over at Charlotte, smiling. She then turned and faced me, a smile spreading across her face as soon as we locked eyes.

I can't believe I found her. I really can't.

"Really? That girl is _**sooo** _out of your league...unless you plan on getting busy with her," I heard Gary say, breaking me out of my trance.

WHAT DID HE JUST SAY!? I could feel my hands turning it to fists.

 _Stay calm Riley, you're not that's better than that. Charlotte makes you better,_ I thought to myself to keep calm.

"Hey Riley, you okay?" I heard Charlotte say.

I looked up to find her standing in front of me, and Gaz nowhere in sight.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I assured her.

"Good. You know, there's not much food there. Is it like a rule not to have any food at beach parties, so it's easier to get wasted?" Charlotte asked me.

"I have no idea. Maybe they ate it all before we got here," I said. However, her theory did sound plausible...

"Well then, we'll just have to get something on the way back to my place," Charlotte informed me.

"Sure, but seeing as that's a while from now, what do you say to a dance?" I asked.

"Okay, let's dance," Charlotte replied, taking my hand in hers and leading me over to free space with not many people there.

Someone had started the fire now, and all I could think of while Charlotte began to dance to Iyaz's _**"Replay"**_ , and how beautiful the light of the fire made her look. And I knew if she could read my mind, she would slap me.

**_Shawty's like a melody in my_ _head_**   
**That I can't keep _out_**   
**_Got_ _me_ _singin'_ _like_**   
**_Na_ na na _na_ _everyday_**   
**It's like _my_ _iPod's_ _stuck_ _on_ _replay_**   
**_Replay-ay-ay-ay_ **

**_Shawty's_ _like a me_ _lody_ _in_ _my_ _head_**   
**_That I c_ _an't_ _keep_ _out_**   
**_Got_ _me_ _singin'_ _like_**   
**_Na_ _na_ _na_ _na_ _everyday_**   
**_It's_ _like my_ _iPod's_ stuck _on_ _replay_**

**_Replay_ **

_**Remember the first time we met** _   
_**You was at the mall wit yo friend** _   
_**I was scared to approach ya** _   
_**But then you came closer** _   
_**Hopin' you would give me a chance** _

_**Who would have ever knew** _   
_**That we would ever be more than friends** _   
_**We're real worldwide, breakin' all the rules** _   
_**She like a song played again and again** _

* * *

**Charlotte's POV**

I never realized how fun it was to dance. I thought that after the first two dances I would get sick of it but I was having so much fun!

Ever since Australia, I have avoided things like this, but with Riley, I just don't care. I mean I usually wouldn't condone moves like that are used dirty dancing, but tonight I think I used all of them with Riley, and maybe even invented some new ones.

"I'm glad you brought me here!" I yelled over the music.

"Well, I'm just glad you're having a good time, and I would have taken you to go see " _ **New Moon**_ " if I thought it would make you happy!" Riley said.

I then hit him again.

"Owww!" Riley laughed.

"You're an idiot, did you know that?" I asked him teasingly.

"Yeah, but I'm your idiot right," Riley expressed.

I looked down at the sand blushing, and hoping that he couldn't see it by just the light of the fire.

He then grabbed my chin and began to lift it drawing me closer. I might have kissed him the time was right and I wanted to, that was if what happened next didn't happen.

Some drunk idiot bumped into us and split his drink all over me. Oh no.

"Hey! Watch where you're going!" Riley semi-yelled at the idiot, and I took this opportunity to run for it to the ocean.

_5..._

_4..._

_3..._

_2..._

_1..._

I made it to the water just in time.

I then swam a little deeper into the water so no one could see me. Even though most where drunk that didn't mean I was going to risk blowing my secret.

I then popped my head out of the water and tried to find Riley. After a few minutes of searching, I spotted him and began to hear him calling out my name. I just hope Riley won't go looking for me.

"CHARLOTTE!"

"CHARLOTTE!"

" **CHARLOTTE!** "

I groaned internally. Of course, I'm gonna be wrong on this, again!

Oh great, how am I going to talk my way out of this one?


	30. Is It The Calm Before The Storm? Part 2

**_Previously…_ **

_"MOM! WE'RE HOME!" I yelled as Alaine and I entered through the front door._

_We had just got back from the island an hour or two ago and decided to surprise my mom by hitching a ride and arriving home early._

_It was silent in the house. No TV was on, running water or sizzling from the kitchen, and not even Thomas bulldozing his way to the front door to greet us._

_Either something was wrong or my mom was not home._

_…_

_"Mom, what is she doing here?" I asked, looking at her while standing in front of Alaine, blocking her from Andrea's view._

_I watched as my mother turned to me, but couldn't look me in the eyes. I just knew I wasn't going to like this._

_"Sweetie...I-" my mom was interrupted._

_"I'm here to take my daughter home," Andrea said strictly, getting out of the chair and smoothing her tight dress._

_…_

_I rushed past my mom and ran as fast as I could to get Alaine, but Andrea pushed me to the ground and slammed the car door shut. I got up and banged my hands onto the window, screaming and yelling. On the other side, Alaine was doing the same thing and also sprouting curses at her mother as well._

_…_

_Alaine was still banging on the window, crying her eyes out in heartbreak as Andrea pulled out of the driveway and drove off. I wanted nothing more than to chase after them, but I just collapsed instead._

_…_

_"Remember that 'surprise' date I wanted to take you? It's tonight!"_

_Her eyes widened at those words. Tonight? As in a school night? She had got back from an island camping trip and mourning a full night after crying over Alaine! Why would he choose tonight of all nights!?_

_"You're insane," she said, shaking her head, "it's a school night! What on Earth could be happening on a Monday night!?"_

_Riley chuckled "You'd be surprised. So, I'll come over to pick you up at 7:30 p.m."_

_…_

_Riley then grabbed my chin and began to lift it, drawing me closer. I might have kissed him the time was right and I, dare I say it, wanted to. I could feel my heart beating fast in my chest and his breath against my lips. So close..._

_That is if what happened next didn't happen:_

_Some drunk idiot bumped into us and split his drink all over me. In shock, I looked down and saw my dress was covered in whatever drink he had and was dripping down to my feet._

_…_

_I then popped my head out of the water and tried to find Riley. After a few minutes of searching, I spotted him and began to hear him calling out my name. I just hope Riley won't go looking for me._

_"CHARLOTTE!"_

_"CHARLOTTE!"_

_" **CHARLOTTE!** "_

_I groaned internally. Of Course, I'm gonna be wrong on this, again!_

_Oh great, how am I going to talk my way out of this one?_

* * *

**_Present…_ **

**_Paradise Cove Beach…_ **

**Charlotte's POV**

"CHARLOTTE! CHARLOTTE! **_CHARLOTTE!_** " I heard as I watched Riley keep calling out for me from the beach.

I couldn't even describe how I was feeling at the moment.

Why? Why, why, why can't I have a good time without complications?

Part of me was screaming that life was unfair and that I needed this. The other part was saying that I was having fun a day after my best friend was taken away from me and that I deserved this.

Anyone who truly knew me, as a whole, knew which side I was listening to.

However, before I can go into a depressive funk, I hear Riley calling out for me again. I had to go, get dry, and meet up with Riley.

But first, I had to find some dry land.

I looked around the shore and saw the pier. It was big enough to hide me, plus it was already dark out and nobody would notice steam from over there. And if someone did, it could either be another fire or the cafe!

Smiling with a new objective, I dove underwater and did a mini speed-swim to the pier. When I emerged, I saw that I was underneath the pier and swam up a little to the point I had to crawl out of the water and onto the dry sand.

When I was sure I wasn't being watched, I put my hand over my hand and closed it. I watched with a smile as the steam came off my tail and, soon enough, I was back in my dress.

Rolling from under the pier, I got up, dusted my dress off, and headed towards the party.

By the time I got there, it seemed like the party was still going on. I looked and saw Riley sitting on one of the benches with his head in his hands. Even though it was beyond my control, I didn't want to leave him hanging like that.

So, I walked up to him.

"You know, last I checked, no one should be frowning at a party," I said playfully with a smile.

I watched as Riley jerked his head up and looked at me in surprise, and possibly relief.

"Charlotte! Oh thank God!" he said as he got up and hugged me tightly. "I thought you disappeared or..."

"Or what? That I'd left? Riley, you're my date _and_ my ride. There's no way I would leave you here," I consoled him.

I watched as he realized how close to me he was and nearly laughed as he pulled away, looking flustered.

"Well, can you blame me? One minute, I'm dancing with you and the next, you're gone! Though I was worried about you, I was **_terrified_** at the thought of telling your mom I lost you!" he exclaimed.

I couldn't help but laugh at how freaked out he was. Terrible, I know, but he looked cute when he was all worried about me.

"Wanna get out of here?" Riley asked me. That caught me off guard.

"I thought you wanted me to meet your friends?" I asked.

"Well, after that scare, I think I should take you out of here. Besides, I want to take you out to eat anyways," he said with a smile.

But I had to shut him down.

"Um, we could just go to the cafe and get something to eat," I pointed out.

"True, but I feel like they're going to overcharge me and I want to take you someplace you'll like," Riley stated a matter-of-factly.

I, once again, laughed before nodding as we left the beach.

* * *

Riley had taken me to one of his favorite bakeries, and I had to admit: I fell in love with their Delightful Chocolate-Chip cookie cakes! After that, he took me to the park near my house...

The same one where I came and got Alaine after she ran away from home.

We just walked around for a few minutes before we ended up just swinging on the swings. The night is nice, the air is warm and the moon is out.

He talked about his life as a lifeguard and told me a story about how he'd come to love it.

"I honestly didn't want to be a lifeguard at first. As far as I knew, if people had just taken the time to learn how to swim, then maybe no one would need a lifeguard. But I later learned how wrong I was," Riley recalled," I was 15 or 16 when I saved this woman's life. I was up at my post, keeping an eye on everyone, making sure they weren't breaking the laws and rules, etc. When it seemed like everyone was okay, I'll admit, I took my eyes off them and started doing my own thing. Flirting with the nearby girls, messing with some of the adults. The usual rebel-teen things. But then I heard a scream.

I grabbed my binoculars and saw a little girl screaming for her mother. I looked and saw that her mom was unconscious and practically drifting into the sea. I remember jumping and running into the water as fast as I could as I started tried to reach her. When I got there, I saw that she was knocked out as well as bleeding from her head. I figured she was taken down by a wave and possibly hit her head. So, I pulled her back to shore and started to see if she was awake.

When she didn't respond, I started to give her CPR. I can't even begin to describe how nerve-wracking that was. Maybe it was my fault. After all, had I been doing my job, maybe this wouldn't have happened! I gave her 3 breaths and started to give her chest 30 compressions. I repeated the process at least 5 or 6 times before she came to. Seeing her eyes open up like that scared me, but...when her daughter hugged her, I couldn't have been happier.

Since then, I started taking my job seriously. No slacking, no messing around, no anything. Until my time as a lifeguard was over, I asked Laguna for a permanent spot, and I've been at the beach ever since," Riley concluded as he finished.

I stared at him in amazement and fascination. The way his eyes lit up, from casual to regret to happiness, were almost as my kaleidoscope emotions.

But that's the thing: We may have learned from mistakes, but my demons are more haunting than his.

"That must have been nice," I softly said, "you at least managed to right a wrong. Some mistakes can be taken back. I mean, she could've died on your watch, but you prevented it. Some things can't be prevented or redone."

I looked down as the words poured out my mouth. I could quite possibly be telling him more than I've ever told Alaine and that's not bothering me?

"Hey, Beautiful, look at me," Riley said.

I looked up and scowled. "Riley, I told you this already: **_Don't_** _call me beautiful!_ "

Riley got off his swing and stood in front of me.

"Why? I'm sorry if this offends you, but you are! From the beautiful brown hair to your amazing brown eyes. And honestly, you look like you could easily be a beautiful surfer with your height and muscles! I mean, honestly, what guy have you ever date made you felt less than that! Please, tell me who on earth made you feel any less than special?" he demanded.

I was taken back by Riley's tone. His facial expression was dead serious, but his eyes...

If I didn't know any better...

"Riley...are you in love with me or something?" I asked hesitantly. I don't think I was ready for his answer.

But his stiff posture relaxed and his face softened. He gave me a small smile and a quick laugh.

"Honestly, I don't think I'm there yet. I knew, from the moment I saw you, that I would start caring about you but loving you...I don't even think I'm there yet. And if I was?" he asked reluctantly.

I felt something in my stomach and I don't even think I can handle it.

"Ry, I honestly don't know what to say. Truth be told, you've made me so crazy, that if I liked you as a friend, I wouldn't even know how to respond. But to be honest, more than ever, if you did love me, you'd be making a poor choice. You wouldn't understand that to even have that type of affection...just doesn't belong to me," I confessed.

Honestly, the idea of someone loving me. And if they knew the things I've done...

"Then tell me."

I looked up at him in disbelief and examined his face for anything false as he sat down in front of me. He wasn't asking me to tell him why I don't deserve love, was he?

But I didn't see anything that exposed ill intentions. He was dead serious.

There was no way I could tell him the **_WHOLE_** truth, but maybe if I watered down the story as I did with Alaine, it'll come out better.

I sighed. "It started in Australia, back when I was living in the Gold Coast. On my first day of school, I met this guy named Lewis McCartney. He was introduced to me by his, at-the-time girlfriend, Cleo Sertori after she saw me get sprayed with water. I'll admit, I thought he was cute, but I wanted to be Cleo's friend...eventually. I don't like talking about this but..."

"Go on," Riley encouraged.

"When I realized their relationship, I tried to downplay the crush I had for him and try to at least be his friend. But then, I saw him at the beach one day and saw how sad he looked. Just so sad and down in the dumps. So, to cheer him up, I drew him a portrait of himself. I think he liked it. Later on, it turned out that he was a total science geek, which was good because I liked science too. I helped him worked on his weather machines and such, and he would see my drawings.

One day, I asked him to take me to this island called Mako so I could draw. I did get some drawing done, but after that, we did a little exploring. We were just sitting around, just talking, when there was a noise from behind us. I turned around to see what it was, but he turned me back to him and kissed me. It caught me off guard at first, but then I kissed him again.

But it was only a matter of time anyways. Turns out it was Cleo, who had followed us and made that noise," I confessed.

Lewis might've not told me himself, but I figured it out on my own shortly after I left for the States.

From there, I told Riley how I tried to start a friendship with Cleo and her friends, but the attempts mostly backfired. Then, I described how I started to get protective of him, and soon, rather controlling. And my attitude didn't skip over his friends. I was horrible to them, especially Emma, who was the only one willing to put up with me! Eventually, I got to the part where Cleo practically ran away and my last fight with Lewis and how harshly it ended.

By the time I got to the 'last' civil talk between him and me, I didn't realize I was crying until I felt Riley's hands brush the wetness away from my cheeks. I gazed at him and saw how furious he looked.

"If I ever meet the guy, I am personally going to kill him," Riley growled lowly. And judging by the tone, he might mean it.

"No. It's been a year almost a year already. We just weren't compatible, that's all," I tried to reason, but he wasn't having it.

"But still, even if he didn't mean to, he played you like a fiddle! And this Cleo chick, I don't need to tell you that you made a few mistakes, but that doesn't mean you're a bad person! It just means your human like the rest of us. We practically live to make mistakes that we regret, but we also live for the moments that bring us joy.

Lewis made you happy, like your first love. He seemed interested but also was trying to move on from his girlfriend. He should have never kissed you that day, especially if he was just doing it to protect someone who already had his heart. He should have, from the very start, explained how he wasn't ready to move on and still asked for your friendship. You were pretty much made the villainess due to his screw-up and it reached out to his friends.

You are the strongest and bravest person I've ever met. Not many people can go down that road and recover from it as you did. Honestly, you hold all the marbles now. If in twenty years from now, you see that girl again, I want you to tell me how...gob smacked she was that instead of you being miserable like Karma might've permitted, you are living the best-damned life in your existence and no one can take that from you.

And mostly, you just told me what was probably the most traumatic and hurtful part of your life and you don't think you're beautiful!? Dammit, Char, you're too good for this world because of that. You're moving on, actually taking a chance to be happy and you honestly believe you deserve less than that!? You are the most amazing person I know, stronger than I'll ever be and you don't see that! Or do you need more words to describe you? Oh how about 'Incredible', 'Fiery', 'Passionate', 'Brilliant', 'Courageous', or how about I just call you the most gorgeous woman out there because I really-"

I honestly don't know how this happened. But one moment, I'm just sitting there, listening to him talk, and the next moment...

I'm grabbing his face and kissing him like there's no tomorrow!

It must have shocked the hell out of him because before I can pull away, he grabbed my face and kissed me hard! I moved my arms until they wrapped around his neck and he moves his hands were around my waist and held me firmly.

It felt like time stopped around us. I couldn't get enough of him and he couldn't get enough of me!

And add in the fact that he was an _AMAZING_ kisser sealed the deal!

But as our bodies would have it, we reluctantly pulled away for oxygen and were breathing deep breaths.

We didn't say anything for a moment. Like there was this barrier that kept us in for infinity.

But Riley had something to say first.

"I told you that I didn't think I was in love with you yet. But...if you keep kissing me like that, then I'll sure as hell start falling for you," he said with a smile.

I couldn't help but smile at him too. Riley drives me crazy to the point I want to use my powers on him. But if he drives me even crazier...

I think I might just fall for him too.

* * *

**_At Charlotte's house..._ **

When we got back to my place, he walked me to my front door.

Now that my head was back together, I realized that I shouldn't have kissed him.

My emotions were everywhere, he was saying the right things, and I almost believed that he was right about everything.

Almost.

Even if Lewis had some fault in what happened, I still took it too far. Riley doesn't know the full story. And if he did, would he still feel the same way? Or would he be just as disgusted with me as the others are?

"You can stop thinking now," Riley's voice rang, bringing me back to the present. I looked and saw he was giving me a look crossed with amusement and seriousness.

"Riley, I-" I started.

"Nope," he interrupted, "I hope you had a great time tonight. And I think we learned a bit more about each other than we thought. I don't regret hearing your story. I'll keep it close so that when I'm sure I'm in love with you, I can do it right."

"Ry," I said slowly.

He continued "And I also realized that some of the methods to my madness won't always appease you. But here's what I do know: The woman who's caught my eyes is a part of a big picture and I need to start understanding her more. So, that way, I can understand the picture better. You can hit me all you want, slap me, ignore me, but I still want you in my life just as I want to be in yours.

I don't want you to say you regret the kiss, because, honestly, it was a long time coming. And I hope to kiss you again and again until we think we've got it out of our systems and we keep coming back for more!"

I couldn't help it as I'm sure I was blushing like a tomato by now.

"I had a good time tonight," I commented, "maybe we could do it again sometime? And I hopefully meet your friends later on?"

Riley gave me a very amused smile and leaned in. At first, I was sure he was going to kiss me again, but instead, I feel a pair of lips on my forehead.

As he pulls away, he leans down to my ear and whispers:

" _Never believe you're less than amazing. You just might realize that you're exactly what this world needs."_

With that, he bids me a "Goodnight" before getting on his Vespa and driving away.

I just used my keys and went inside before closing the door and sliding down to the floor with a possible goofy look on my face.

I won't say I'm in love.

* * *

**_October 1st, 2009, Thursday..._ **

**_Valencia High..._ **

**3rd POV**

It's been three days since Alaine was taken and two days since Riley's and Char's first date. Though they weren't together, he took the time to get to know her properly.

Riley had joked once that he was courting her, but Charlotte told him the vast differences between courting and dating.

But that didn't mean she wasn't missing her best friend. After her date, Charlotte had dashed upstairs and called her best friend on the phone...

Only to realize that she wouldn't answer anytime soon.

This nearly made her cry, but instead, she grabbed her guitar and started writing a song. Riley's words may have almost worked, but they did leave some influence.

So when Charlotte walked into school that day, she was dressed simply yet elegant. Or as elegant as she could get.

She was wearing a white, lace day dress with a tan belt around the waist and a pair of sandals. Her hair was in a messy bun, but she was determined to make it through the day.

As she made her way to her locker, she noticed Willow, Tessa, and a third girl were standing in front of it. Trying to shake off her annoyance, she stayed positive and walked right up to them.

"Um, excuse me girls, but you guys are kind of in front of my locker," Charlotte said.

The two girls looked at her and smirked.

"Yeah, and this locker belongs to the school, so it's not yours," Tessa smirked.

Charlotte kept herself from rolling her eyes and started over.

"What I was trying to say was that I needed to get my stuff for class. So can you guys move over?" she asked again.

The two girls just smirked at each other and gave her a look.

"Well, we could, but right next to yours is our friend's locker," Willow said, pointing at the locker on the left of hers.

This confused Charlotte. That can't be right. That locker belongs to...

Charlotte turned the third girl around and was almost couldn't believe who it was.

Alaine.

Charlotte couldn't help but do a quick scan her over. She didn't seem like she got any bruises from Andrea, otherwise, she wouldn't be wearing a tank top and shorts. Besides, it's been nearly 3-4 days since she left. Any visible wounds could have healed by now.

And speaking of clothes, Alaine usually wore a flowy dress, mostly loose shirts and short jeans. What she was wearing instead was a white tank top that had a dull-brown sun on it and her shorts were a little too short for the school dress code to be allowed. And her usually curly or braided hair was now ironed-straight and in the ponytail.

This was not her best friend.

"Alaine, what's going on? Why are you with them? After everything they've done to you?!" She exclaimed.

But there was close to no emotion in her eyes to what Alaine said next.

"Listen, loser. They are my friends and have _always_ been. Besides, I need to stick with my kind. Not some senior who's going to be gone in a couple of months," Alaine said, this time, with a harsh tone.

Charlotte almost stepped back and did a double-take.

No way. What had Andrea done to her? This was the same Alaine that had **_hated_** her since the first day of school!

What happened to the happy, bubbly, down-to-Earth girl that had come to be her best friend?

"Alaine, this is not you. I don't honestly know what your mother did, but this is not who you are," she tried to reason, "Willow and Tessa dropped you. After all, they were done being your friend like a child was done playing with their toys because they want something new. They used you! They aren't your friends, I am!"

But all Alaine did was stare blankly at her.

"My friend? A friend wouldn't just decide to go on a date and not speak a word to me. A friend wouldn't ignore me when I've called hundreds of times. A friend wouldn't assume that my mother did something to me. And a friend wouldn't ever claim a title that wasn't there!" Alaine shouted.

Charlotte's mouth just hung open at her best friend's word. Her mind was practically trying to fight them off and come up with a logical explanation for Alaine's action.

This was not her Alaine.

Unbeknownst to them, they didn't realize that almost everyone stopped to look and stared at the commotion that was occurring.

But then, Alaine dropped the nail on the hatch.

"Besides, you couldn't even get **_THREE_** girls to like you. So why would I?" Alaine asked rhetorically.

This was just getting to be too much for Charlotte. The pain, the anger, the hurt. Everything that she had trusted Alaine with was just thrown back in her face.

Take away the magical aspect, she pretty much told Alaine everything.

Not wanting to show a tear, she just nodded and ran away in the opposite direction.

Her heart was broken once again by somebody she trusted.

And if that wasn't enough, it was by the first friend she ever made since moving to Cali.

If only she knew that Alaine's heart was breaking to the point of complete shattering.


	31. Is It The Calm Before The Storm? Part 3

**_At the Cove's Residence..._ **

**_In the Grotto..._ **

**Charlotte's POV**

I couldn't help but groan in frustration as the cauldron in front of me was once again fully frozen to ice.

"I can't do this!" I shouted in anger. I balled my hand up and melted the ice but accidentally ended up drying the cauldron bone-dry instead.

Lesson: Seeing as I have 3 powers, Laguna felt that I should learn to focus on the in-between states. Or, in other words, instead of going directly to solid ice and full boiling, freeze the water to the point that it's bubbling because of how cold it is from different temperatures by using my old hand gesture.

"That's because you keep forcing it! You're not focusing, not concentration, and not keeping control of your emotions with that attitude!" Laguna chastised.

"Easy for you to say! You're trying to get me to ' _chill_ ' a bowl of water when all I can do is just freeze things! That's not really fair!" I countered back. I couldn't help but bring a hand to my head as a headache was starting to form.

My day has not gone soothingly since this morning. After what happened with Alaine, it was like my first day of school all over again:

Horrible.

Just as Alaine was avoiding me, I became the talk of the school. I was now known as "Rejection", "Freaky Girl", "Loser Girl", and too many to name. I don't delve in gossip and name-calling, but this was ridiculous!

Riley had tried multiple times to console me on the matter, but I just couldn't talk to him about it and now he thinks I'm avoiding him!

The third thing that ticked me off was that, aside from Dominique, the whole remaining softball team is avoiding me.

And the tip of the iceberg itself, Alaine left me to be tortured under the mercy of Willow and Tessa! What do I mean by that? Easy! Both of those she-devils poured milk on my head and I barely made it to the restrooms in time!

And then at work, I had been stuck with some of the rudest customers on the planet! Not only were they claiming that I got their orders wrong, but they even had the nerve to call me fat!

So excuse me if I'm not really into controlling how I freeze or heat up or ANYTHING! My day is bad enough without being told what to do, or how to do it!

"Well life's not fair, Charlotte, and you're acting like a child!" Laguna exclaimed.

I had to take a step back before retorting. " ** _Excuse me_**? I'm acting like a child!? Laguna, I've been nothing but patient since the day we met. And even after my change, it still feels like you have something against me and I don't know who's worst: You or Jonathan?"

"And **_you've_** been skipping out on your lessons to play with your little friend! Being patient is one thing, but acting responsibly is another! And don't compare me to my son-in-law; He has the tolerance of a whale!" Laguna yelled.

"Well, I wouldn't know! Half the time you act understanding, while the other half seems like you're scared of me. And don't you **_dare_** bring Alaine into this! I'm already having problems with her and I don't need you bad-mouthing her to your heart's content! She's the only, _**normal**_ girl who stands beside me. So, excuse me for wanting a little normality in my life!" I protested.

"Well, guess what! You're not normal, Charlotte! You stopped being normal the moment you deluded yourself into believing that you were a superior mermaid in the first place!" Laguna scolded at me.

"How dare you even use that against me?! How many times must I apologize and beg on my knees for you to understand that I'm not that girl anymore! At least I'm not some hundred years old hag who spends her time hiding under a rock!" I taunted. Low blow, but I don't care!

"Why you- listen to me, little girl! This ' _hag_ ' has spent centuries looking for your ungrateful self and this is how you repay me?" Laguna barked, her eyes narrowing at me with her words.

"First off, don't call me 'Little Girl'! I've been through enough to know that part of my life is over and done with! And aren't you a little hypocrite! Instead of teaching me how to do simple stuff, why don't you give me a challenge, like, oh I don't know, controlling my visions! Just because I haven't had one in a while doesn't mean I don't feel or get these stupid vibes over stupid things!

I mean, I was drawing my best friend and without realizing it, I gave her a tail! Seriously, soon enough I'm going to end up drawing myself dead and that's not a good thing. Hell, I have **_THREE_** scars on my back from the last near-death experience I had and even then I didn't know any ways to use my powers to defend myself!" I yelled.

"And with this attitude, you wonder why? You're acting like a spoiled brat who's not getting their way and it's highly unsuited for someone your age! Grow up!" she shouted.

"I've been doing nothing but growing up since I was 17! I've entered a depression where I practically **_STARVED_** myself to death in pain and guilt over what I've done! So if you so much as judge me like I'm a common criminal, oh so help me, I will-"

"ENOUGH!"

Laguna and I snapped our heads to Karen, and saying she's mad is an understatement.

She's furious! Glaring daggers at both of us while shifting her hands on her hips, making her 9-month stomach stick out more.

There was silence for a moment before she started to speak either one of us. I was first.

"Listen to you! You're both acting like children! Charlotte, there is a specific reason you must respect your elders. They are wise beyond their years and can teach you a lesson or 2. Laguna has taken her time to train you and if she feels that you're not ready for something, then that's how she feels. If you're not ready to control your visions, then you're not!" she stated.

Then she turned to Laguna. "Mother, I can agree with Charlotte. That was a low blow, even for you! You know the person she is now and the person she was before are practically different two people. And yes, she may need to be more responsible for her lessons, but she is nearly 18. This means that she is practically old enough to make her own decisions whether you like it or not."

Laguna and I couldn't help but look at each other and bow our heads in shame.

Karen is right: I should appreciate what Laguna is doing for me.

"Now," she continued, "I have Jonathan in the car waiting for you, Charlotte. Literally, on the drive here, you were _reeking_ in anger and frustrations. You need to calm down and cool off for tomorrow, where we will continue this lesson. Now go."

With a sigh, taking one last look at the two women, I walked past Laguna and left the grotto.

* * *

**3rd POV**

Laguna and Karen waited until they felt vibrating and slam at the entrance of the grotto, signaling that Charlotte was gone.

Good.

Laguna sighed and sat down in her armchair. She could practically feel the glare from her daughter burning through her.

"I suspect you're angry with me, are you not?" she asked, annoyance in her voice.

Perhaps being rude to her pregnant and hormonal daughter wasn't the right choice to go by.

"Are freakin' KIDDING ME!? You know, I'm due this month and the **_last_** thing I need is chaos in its wake!" Karen fumed. "How could you say that to her, Mother? I thought, out of everything that's happened, you'd be the first to realize that she's regretted what she's done. And you can compare how she was from the first day we met her to the present that she's come along way! Do you want to derail all that progress!?"

"Karen, understand that it was a slip of the tongue in the fuel of anger and that I never meant it. But she's overstepped her boundaries!" Laguna argued.

"Yes, she did, but you can't tell me she didn't speak some truth. She's right, we need to push her more with her abilities and...and...And you're too scared to do it!" Karen exclaimed.

Laguna snapped her head up at that accusation.

"Karen, that is preposterous! I do no-"

"Don't even think about finishing that sentence!" Karen interrupted. "You do! You've been deluding yourself since the switch! And when we discovered her Invisibility, you were shocked out of your wit! It was just supposed to be you and it was out of luck me and Brendan inherited it. But when Charlotte turned out to have, not only that but demonstrated Detection as well, you lost it! And don't even get me started on her gelatin powers either!

To you, the more you try to push her, she does something you feel that Ane'lie would do and it hurts you and scares you! And as for controlling her visions, that's not a bad idea. You did it and were able to predict things no one else saw coming. Hell! I'm pretty sure you could predict the stock market as well!"

"So what are you suggesting? That I'm refusing to go further because I'm afraid of how she'll use her powers?" Laguna asked incredulously.

"Yes. And she has proven, time and time again, that she can improve on her own. But here's the thing: She comes to you because she's scared. Scared to go down a dark path again. Scared of losing control. Scared of hurting the people she loves. She's scared and she's been putting up a front to show otherwise. You know it, I know it, Brendan knows it, and even Jonathan knows it! You are so focused on Ane'lie that you forget about Charlotte!" Karen shouted.

There was silence. Laguna just sat there with her head down. Whether it was because she was ashamed or not, Karen couldn't tell.

Suddenly, there was a sniffle. It was so low that Karen barely heard it.

But then, it got louder and louder until Laguna lifted her head up and despite her stoic face, there was wetness in her eyes.

"Red hair. The moment I saw her red hair that day, I knew who she was. It wasn't her vision, her thoughts, or any of that. It was her hair. I believe **_she_** did that so that I could find her. But what's the point? I failed. I failed Carmenta with the Dust Storms in the 1930s, I failed Caprice during the 1966 Flood of Venice, failed Florence in the waterspout in Malta, and the list goes on and on.

Are you surprised? She'll end up being just like her. Giving her life to a cause she will be reborn to do over and over again until she succeeds" Laguna stated sadly.

* * *

**_On the drive to Charlotte's house..._ **

**Charlotte's POV**

If I wasn't already ashamed of losing it on Laguna, then I would have been beyond nervous that Jonathan was driving me home.

If I made any progress making him like me, then I blew it today.

During the drive, I kept my head tilted on the window and looked outside at the speeding cars going by. Jonathan just kept his head up, looking straight at the road ahead. I observed how tightly his hands were gripped to the steering wheel.

I couldn't decide if a silent Jonathan was good or bad?

So, we just sat there. The radio was off, making the air more awkward and tense at the same time. The sound of the engine, wheels moving and cars zooming past us were all we could focus on.

"What happened?"

I jumped at the sound of his voice. It didn't seem to hold a deadly calm like trouble was coming, or the type of calm that you get before being annoyed.

It almost sounded like...

Curiosity?

"What do you mean?" I asked timidly.

"What happened to cause you to be so emotional today? And don't tell me your period is on," he simply stated

I wasn't sure what caught me off guard the most: The fact that he wants to know about my day or the fact he mentioned my period like it's nothing.

"You most likely wouldn't care," I said, preparing myself for the lecture/backlash of being rude.

But he almost smiled at me.

"And why would you think that?" he asked me, trying to get me to be more precise probably.

"Easy, you pretty much hate me and you and Brendan don't get along at all. Honestly, I'm surprised you're even asking," I pointed out.

He never made an effort to know me and his relationship with his step-son was out there everyone to see.

Suddenly, he pulled the van over, rather stiffly, and looked me straight in the eyes.

"And yet you nearly matched my mother-in-law in a screaming match. And Karen, when her hormones are not all the way there, is the only one that can do that. My relationship with Brendan is complicated. He was raised by a stern grandmother, who is responsible for his tail in the first place, and his mother, who spoils him. Dating her and dealing with him were daunting tasks, especially with Laguna not trusting me. Marrying her proved to be a challenge because Brendan wanted nothing to do with me and did multiple stunts to break the engagement. Perhaps I am too strict with him, but he needs to learn boundaries. Not everyone wants to be his friend and those if knew his secret, would potentially exploit him. I love Karen too much to see that happen to her only son.

With you, I can't say that I didn't give off that...presence, but I don't fear you. If anything, trusting you is a task on its own. Learning about your previous mermaid experience played a role, yes, but not before we met. To be honest, I don't understand magic. What I **_do_** know, however, is that it takes control of your life in a whole new way. People who don't understand magic do things out of fear. But I'm learning that those who already understand are still feared by their peers.

Just see it from my perspective: One day, this young lady walks up to my mother-in-law, who's already had a stressful day, and both pass out after getting in physical contact with each other. Then, I learn that said young lady is prophesied to stop this ancient mermaid from destroying humankind. She runs away at first and then comes back a month later. I just imagined how out of spin I got to learn she was a mermaid before and lost it because she got jealous. How can I trust her not to lose it again? How do I know she can be trusted not to put my family in danger? Aside from me, the family trusts her yet, she has her things to hide from them. Can you see where I'm coming from?" he asked, calm yet stern in his voice.

I was shell-shocked. This was the most Jonathan has ever said to me!

But I can see his point of view now. It wasn't really that he hated me. That was never the case!

He was just looking out for the best interest of his family. And how can you do that when you have a disobedient step-son and a mermaid who just so happens to have a shaky path ahead of her?

"You don't hate me. You just don't trust what I could stand for. You would give anything for your family and I'm the loose cannon you have to watch out for," I replied calmly.

Jonathan nodded. "Now, I can see a young lady. With this in mind, are you going to tell me what happened?"

This was all new for me, yet he wasn't going to let this drop so easily.

I proceeded and began to spin the tale of me and Alaine's friendship. I explained what had happened after I came home with Alaine from the camping trip. I didn't mention the date with Riley, but I acknowledged that my self-esteem was wearing me down, especially with the misery I was feeling. I told him about my obvious conclusion of Alaine's abuse and, last but not least, what had happened with Alaine in school.

Jonathan was quiet throughout the whole thing and didn't give off any emotions whatsoever.

"Are you going to give up on her?" he asked.

This caught me off guard once more. Is he going to do this through the drive!?

"What?"

"If this girl is truly your friend, and she knows about what happened, are you honestly going to give up on her? Regardless of everything that has happened?" he inquired, giving me more details into what he meant.

But this was something I couldn't give him an answer to, even to myself. The pain I felt was nearly as fresh as the night I got the scars on my back and I don't believe it will go away anytime soon.

Possibly knowing that I wasn't going to give him an answer, she started the van again and started driving into the road.

There was silence between us once more.

* * *

**_Charlotte's house..._ **

After Jonathan dropped me off, I wanted nothing more than to go to sleep.

My day at school, my horrendous time at work, disastrous mermaid lessons, and seeing that side of Jonathan took a lot out more from me than I expected.

When I walked into my house, my best source of comfort was Thomas rushing to see me. He jumped up on his hind legs and I couldn't help but smile at him and nuzzle his head.

Perhaps he could guess how tired I was, seeing as he got down. But then he made me grab his collar and follow him to the backyard.

I briefly remembered Alaine saying that she and my mom were working on a little garden project. I haven't gone back there with respect and had hoped that she would show me.

But the opportunity never came.

But that wasn't like my mom to start something and not finish it. In a way, when someone passes away, she would do something in honor of them. Though Alaine isn't dead, aside from my date with Riley, the house feels that way.

Perhaps working on their little project is her way of mourning over Alaine.

Looking at her now, I don't think I can tell my mom what has happened to her.

When we got outside, I let go of Thomas and looked at the garden. It was nothing like how it was when we first moved here two months ago.

Aside from the pool, there was just a space of green grass.

Now, on the left side of the yard, there seemed to be an at least 3-4 raised garden beds there, alongside were a few, big flower pots where I saw my mom putting the last of the soil and fertilizer into it. The side of the fence where she was had stuff all over it. And then, on the side of the fence, which leads to the house behind us, were a bunch of rocks and bricks, also accompanied by soil and fertilizer.

It seems like mom and Alaine were doing more than gardening.

I walked up to her just as she finished pouring more soil into another flower pot.

"Hey Mom," I said as I helped her put the rather heavy bag of soil down.

She looked up at me and smiled before kissing my cheek. I got a good look at her. Her hair was pulled back and she was dressed casually in a T-shirt and jeans.

Well, as casually as you can get when you are covered in dirt.

"Hey, how was school? Did Alaine return yet?" she asked. This pained me more about what happened. Though I never told her how we first met, it wasn't fair to have Alaine grow on her then turned into a completely different person.

Besides, she was asking about a completely different girl.

"I'm sorry, Mom. I think Andrea is keeping her on a tight leash. No one has seen her, not the Choir or the softball team. Even I searched for her and every place I could think of. But, I trust her to be able to take care of herself!" I tried to cheer, hoping to lighten up the mood.

Mom gave me a small smile in return. I hated lying to her, especially about everything at the present moment, but I don't believe she can take it.

I tried to change the subject.

"So, what's all this here?" I asked, gesturing around the backyard.

"Well, before Alaine left, we were talking. The backyard isn't too big yet not small either. So we decided to do a little, small-scaled landscaping. One side would be completely dedicated to vegetables and the other side would belong to the flowers. I didn't tell her yet, but I wanted to put a white, decorative, vinyl fence behind the flowers so she could plant roses there and it could grow and climb along with it. She never said what color they were, but just that she loves roses for what they mean to her," My mom stated with a far-away look.

I could see what see the meaning. Alaine once told me that White Roses meant the symbolism of girlhood while Red Roses meant courage and respect.

I can see Alaine managing to get the two colored roses to grow together, but I mostly saw the Red Roses winning over.

To put up with someone like Andrea and still be who she takes a lot of bravery and respect, yet she manages to retain some innocence all together.

_"If this girl is truly your friend, and she knows about what happened, are you honestly going to give up on her? Regardless of everything that has happened?"_

I then made up my mind.

I won't give up on Alaine. I can't lose my best friend and our friendship like I lost the girls. Somehow...somehow, I'll break through to her and get to the bottom of what changed.

I will get my sister back.

Looking at my mother, who proceeded to at least try to finish the garden for the day, I went back inside the house and came out a few minutes later in some casual clothes as well.

"Needs some help?" I called out to her with a smile.

Mom looked up and laughed as she waved me over.

I'd recognize the calm before the storm anywhere. I just hoped that I'm ready for it when it hits.


	32. Dreams, Visions, or Something Worse

**_October 3rd, 2009, Saturday, Midnight..._ **

**Charlotte's POV**

* * *

_It was storming._

_It seemed like the best and only way._

_The clouds clustered and gathered all around the sky, lightning illuminating the sky and bolting to the surface all around me. The dark skies cried as the pouring rain whooshed around me._

_I could barely open my eyes as the rain blinded me from all around._

_Lightning flashed before me, causing me to jump as the sound of thunder rumbled like an earthquake._

_I looked around, shielding my eyes from the heavy rain when shock took me over._

_I was in the middle of the ocean! The usually calm waters worked in correspondence with the stormy skies, the waves swirling around me while reaching frightening heights._

_Suddenly, there was a bright flash from behind me. Though hesitantly, I turned around and my eyes widened so much from fear that I felt faint._

_A huge, 20-foot tsunami was heading for me in my direction! The waves surrounding me put a grip on my tail as if to stop me from swimming away from my impending doom._

_I tried manipulating the water around me, trying to feel some sort of connection strong enough to lessen the hold on me, but it was like the ocean had a mind of its own._

_Out of options, using my lesser powers, I made the water holding me into gelatin and broke the mold, freeing my tail, and just in time!_

_With a deep breath and a silent prayer, I ducked under the currents, narrowly avoiding the tsunami. But even underwater, the storm looked terrible. The tsunami had crashed into the water, causing the waves from underneath to appear as storm clouds. Lightning flashed harshly over the surface and the vibration of the thunder sent a chill to my spine._

_Looking around me, the normally radiant, blue sea was now gray and dull. It was like staring into an abyss and not being sure which is more dangerous to be in._

_"Charlotte..."_

_Even though I was floating, I still went stiff._

_That voice..._

_"Charlotte, come to me..."_

_Marana!_

_I had to be dreaming, I had to be dreaming, I just had to be!_

_It was completely dark now. I could hear the storm, hell, I could feel it, but it was like I was floating in space with nothing to hold on to._

_"Charlotte...Come home to me..."_

_I felt something snap in me. The fury, the anger, the **hate** , all rolled up into one, and somehow, possibly in my head maybe, I screamed._

_"Listen to me, you Wannabe-Ursula! I want **nothing** to do with you or your grand master plan! It's because of you my life has derailed just as I was putting it back together and nothing you say or do will make me join you!"_

_Suddenly, there was utter silence. No storm raging, no whooshing ocean currents..._

_Nothing..._

_..._

_..._

_..._

_"ANE'LIE, YOU WILL RETURN TO ME AT ONCE!"_

_There was a growl and before I could move, a large sea serpent with deadly, familiar red eyes came in for the kill!_

_I screamed._

* * *

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

I tried to move my arms, my tail, anything to get away from the Water Snake!

"AHHHHHHHHHHHH!" I screamed, anything, just anything to getaway!

Suddenly, I felt a pair of arms wrap around me. I tried to fight my way out of its grasp, but it wouldn't relinquish its hold on me.

"Let me go! Let me go! LET. ME. GOOOOO!" I screamed, banging my fist against whatever was holding me. Tears started to fall down my eyes as I felt like dying inside once again.

Suddenly, a light blinded me and I slowly opened my eyes.

I was back in my room, my bed, in my human form.

It was just a nightmare.

It was just a nightmare too real enough to leave me in tears.

"Shhhhh, Charlotte, calm down. It's okay. Shhhhh, mommy's here, alright, mommy's here," I heard as I felt myself being rocked back and forth.

Mom must have heard me screaming and ran to me. It was her arms that were wrapped around me.

I couldn't help but snuggle into her more. I needed this comfort and am willing to drop my pride for this.

I just let her hold me there, rocking me back and forth, as she caressed my hair and muttered words of assurance. I hadn't been held like this since I was 6.

Eventually, she stopped and looked at me, wiping my tears away.

"Are you okay?" she asked quietly.

I admittingly shook my head.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

I shook my head again.

"Want me to spend the night?"

This time, I nodded my head. Thomas could only do so much and I needed a Mother's Touch.

So, I pulled more of my bed covers off me as my mom got into bed from behind. Then, pulling the covers back over us, she wrapped her arms around me again, pulling me close to her and I held onto them as my eyes dropped me back to sleep.

I felt mom turn the lights out, but even in darkness, at least I felt safe.

* * *

**_October 4th, 2009, Sunday, Afternoon ..._ **

I was lying on my bed, with Thomas sleeping by my feet, sketching in my sketchbook.

I haven't done this since that fateful camping trip with Alaine, especially with my drawing of her with the tail.

After my date with Riley and finally mustering up enough courage to even look at that drawing, I looked around the Internet, under " _Precognitive Abilities_ " (which I was now sure was the correct name to call my visions- Precognitions), I learned that painting/drawing was common to use with precognitions.

Especially when the person is either asleep or unconscious of them doing it.

And seeing as I did it subconsciously, I decided to take a lazy day.

So far, I spent 2-3 hours sketching: My mom cooking, what I believe the garden would look like when mom and I finish it, me riding a dolphin for the first time, and presently, Thomas sleeping.

I just started a new page when my phone started ringing.

I answered it, "Hello?"

" **Hello _Beautiful,_ how are you?**" a familiar voice gleefully announced on the other said. He put an extra emphasis on 'beautiful'.

I sighed in annoyance before answering back, "First off, don't call me beautiful! We've talked about this. Secondly, what do you want?"

" **First off** ," he started, mimicking me, **"I will continue calling you that until you start to believe it! Okay, Beautiful? Secondly, I called to ask if you would be my date to the dance this Halloween.** "

I almost sat up hearing this."What are you talking about? What dance? I'm pretty sure you're not talking about the choir performance, are you?"

Miss Anelies had announced to the choir the day after Alaine's return about the Halloween show that was happening and everyone, and I mean everyone, in the choir was, not only to compose a song but perform as well. Groups and solos were accepted.

I hadn't started mine's yet, but I had a whole month to start.

" **Nope. You see, in your honor, I beat up the royal crap out of some jock that had the nerve to talk about you so badly that the act itself would have been non-consensual. So, instead of being suspended or expelled, the principal 'volunteered' me into helping the Student Council throw this big, costumed Halloween Bash! So first off, you're welcome. Secondly, I don't believe that show will happen on the 31st. I believe it's not announced yet and your choir teacher has yet to hear about this!** " he exclaimed. Whether he sounded like he was defending himself or not wasn't my problem.

No way! Miss Anelies was informed on everything when it came to her choir. There's no way she'd stand for this!

"Well, I'm sorry, Riley, but I have to decline. I'm actually in the show, and am also required to do this," I said, hoping my annoyance of timing wasn't there.

" **Well, I know for a fact that you're just saying this to _not_ go out with me. Why? Afraid to kiss me again, thinking I won't like it? Because, if that's the case, you're wrong and you happen to be an amazing kisser!**"

Well, glad to see it wasn't one-sided on _that_ particular event. I stated, "You just happen to have the biggest ego in all of Los Angeles, Dontcha?"

" **It's a gift, Charlie. You know you love it!** "

Oh, yep, definitely the biggest ego around here! Wait a minute...

"Did you just call me...Charlie?"

Admittingly, no one has ever given me a nickname more than 'Char', and Alaine's obvious attempt at 'Char-Char' didn't last long.

" **Well, 'Charlotte' is a mouthful, and you mostly go by 'Char', and it's Alaine's nickname for you anyways. So, 'Charlie' is my name for you. Plus...it seems fitting** ," he seemed to say honestly.

I decided to mess with him.

"So, if we're talking pet names, can I call you...Ry-Ry?" I asked as innocently as I could.

I could feel the disgust on his face before answering hastily, " **No-Nope! 'Ry' is a good enough nickname for me!** "

Hearing how fast he said that, I couldn't help but laugh. Nice to know even cocky bastards were sensitive.

" **You have a great laugh** ," he said thoughtfully. That stopped me there.

"Not like I have anything else to laugh about these days," I stated truthfully. Lately, there's been no means to laugh, even if I needed to sometimes.

" **I doubt that. But seriously, would you go to the dance with me?** " I could hear the hope dripping from his mouth.

Nope! I'm gonna pop it!

"How about a...maybe!" I laughed, mostly for my amusement.

" **Oh, come on! You went out with me earlier!** " he whined.

"Ah yes, the date you practically embarrassed me to get! I did have fun, but the fact is, we still don't know each other. You know more about me than I know about you!" I said, simply stating the truth.

He knew about my past and all I knew was why he took his lifeguard job seriously, which wasn't bad, but still!

" **Point taken, so ask me anything!** "

"Twenty Questions?" I asked.

" **Ten...for now** ," he said slyly. I rolled my eyes at his obvious attempt to be mysterious.

"Alright, what's your favorite color?"

" **Chocolate Brown.** " That was an instant one.

"Favorite instrument?"

" **The guitar. Any kind of works.** "

"Favorite meal?"

" **Anything home-cooked!** "

"Favorite place to be?"

" **Paradise Cove.** "

"Why?" I asked, instantly regretting it a moment later.

" **That's where I met you**."

Geez, can someone _please_ tell this guy to stop flirting!? I can't tell whether to blush or be annoyed.

"Stop flirting, Ry, I'm serious! What do you hate the most?"

" **Bullies, though ex-ones are nice too**."

"Riley!"

I heard him laughing his ass off on the other end of the phone. The laugh he gave off had a calming effect, but I wasn't telling him that!

"Okay, four questions left. What do you want to be when you grow up?"

" **Undecided, but maybe a counselor for kids with rough lives.** "

That surprised me. Another fact which might have a story behind it!

"Favorite dessert?"

" **Cookie Cake.** "

And he had a sweet tooth!

"Do you always beat up guys to impress girls or do you do it for fun?" I asked jokingly.

" **Oooh, tough question!** " he sounded like he had to think carefully on that, **"While for me, staying out of trouble requires no fights, I'm more than willing to risk it when someone is either harassed or badly talked about.** "

Now, that one had me worried and I'm not sure whether to be relieved or not. But my last question was a cross between joking and curious.

"Alright, last one: Did you just call me to ask me on a date or did you just want to hear my voice?"

This one took a surprisingly long time to answer, and by _long_ , I meant by 30 minutes.

"Ry? Riley?" I called.

I was about the hang-up, thinking we lost connection or something when he eventually returned to the line.

" **Yeah, sorry about that. To be honest...which one did you want it to be?** " he asked.

"No, I asked you this and now I want an answer!" I demanded.

I was now actually curious to hear his answer.

" **Well...** "

"Well?" I pried.

" **It'skindofbothways! BYE!** " and then he hung up.

"Riley? Riley! Uh, great!" I exclaimed sarcastically. But despite how fast he said it, I heard him loud and clear.

He said it was both ways. Did that mean he called to hear my voice _and_ ask me out?

I threw my head back onto my pillow, frustrated. I might not love the guy, maybe not even care to this degree! But if having possible feelings for him feels like this...

Well, it sucked!

I had so many things running through my head, that I forgot I was drawing something. So I looked up, expecting to see a whole page full of nonsense.

My eyes widened.

Instead of scribbles and nonsense as I expected, it was, as if it was taken out of a polaroid, it was a picture of me and Riley.

His arm left arm was wrapped around me as I laid my head on his shoulder, my eyes looked closed for a brief second, while he was looking down at me, smiling, with his sunglasses on. There was enough 'light' to see the love in them while his other hand, despite not being seen, held the 'camera'.

Great, even my 'visions' are rooting on my love life!

* * *

**3rd POV**

Life for Charlotte was getting a little hectic.

Riley was right: They did announce the dance on the morning announcements.

And right after that, Miss Anelies personally announces for all the choir students to come to the auditorium.

They're going to combine the dance _and_ the show. Judging by the exhausted look on her face, Charlotte could tell that her teacher argued tooth-and-nail to not have it canceled. And it would be on the 31st.

The students have mixed reactions to the new change. Some were happy, the reason being that more people would hear them sing.

Others, such as Charlotte herself, hated it. They were already under the pressure of performing in front of friends and family. Now, they also had to deal with the entire student body watching them as well!

Talk about a nerve-racker!

Then, lessons with Laguna and Karen weren't getting any easier. Somehow, Karen must have talk Laguna to teach Charlotte to finally defend herself. They were now in the middle of something rather... interesting.

* * *

**_At the Cove's Residence..._ **

**_In the Grotto..._ **

Jonathan had put two stools in the pool, one on both sides. Laguna was standing on the left and Charlotte on the right.

She felt a little nervous being one step from falling in the water, but she had worn boots, so she felt secure.

For now.

* * *

**Charlotte's POV**

I don't believe I could express the nervousness in me even if I tried.

But could you blame me? In the position that I was in, one move and I'll fall into the pool.

I get the feeling this was not an ordinary exercise.

"Alright, to be honest, I didn't want to do this, but after what happened...you...and Karen was right and I do need to start learning how to defend yourself," Laguna started.

I quickly turned my head to Karen and nodded, as if to thank her. She smiled back at me.

"However, seeing as you're so ** _eager_** to improve more in your powers, I decided to use this as the perfect way to show you just how much power and energy you need to show," Laguna concluded.

"And what is it we're doing?" I asked.

"Back in the old days, mermaids would often use this as a way of disputing territories and, for fun, messing with humans. So, they played an ancient war game in which is similar to a tug of war. Only instead of rope, we are using a ship. Jonathan, bring it in!" Laguna commanded.

I watched as Jonathan walked into the pool and placed a large, vintage-looking pirate ship in-between us before moving out of the way. He sat next to Karen and Brendan, who wanted to "watch this go down", as he said.

"Um, Laguna, care to tell me how you found this funny to mess with humans?" I asked warily.

Laguna gave me a bemused look before answering, "Oh, I didn't find this amusing...much, in my days. But to answer your question, the difference is that mermaids often used real ships with sailors on it."

Why did that sound so disturbing in so many ways?

"Um," I gulped, "wanna go first?"

"Don't mind if I do," she said, as she brought her hand out.

The ship started moving towards her and I brought out my own.

A while back, Laguna practically forbid me from using different hand gestures and to use my original, single gesture instead. I've been using it for a while and it didn't unnerve me as much as before.

I quickly made it bubble under the ship and used my mind to turn it around and move it towards me. Karen had taught me to often use my imagination when using telekinesis with other powers, and it's worked miracles!

And like I wanted it to, the ship moved to me, and once in range, claimed it by tapping it at the top.

"Round 1 goes to Charlotte!" Brendan shouted, much to Brendan's dismay.

Then, Laguna pulled the ship back into the center.

"Well, I see you've brushed up on telekinesis and your heat powers. A mermaid can use whatever powers she has. Now, let's get a little harder," Laguna said, using two hands.

The ship started to move towards Laguna again and I brought out both of my hands as well.

This time, while using my mind, I created waves around the ship, turning it away from Laguna and towards me.

But Laguna created another set of waves, bigger ones, using it to move towards her again and, with her mind, pulling it to the range and claiming it.

"Round 2 to goes to Mother," Karen announced.

"Nice trick," I complimented.

"At least I know you've been practicing. The waves were a nice touch," Laguna said back.

Once again, the ship was in the center and both of us had our hands out. This time, I took the chance to go first and pull the ship towards me using heat and the water to guide it.

Laguna brought out her other hand and made the ship turn the course and go towards her.

Suddenly, I felt the urge to use an old power of mine, one I hardly used since my change.

I brought out my other hand and started moving it around. And sure enough, a breeze set in.

"Wind. Excellent strategy, but I'm afraid I'm forced to do this," Laguna said, with a hint of mockery, using her other hand, waving it until it made a fist in the air.

I almost dropped my jaw as clouds started to form above us. And then I heard thundering from the clouds.

How the hell did I not know about this!?

"Mother, is this necessary? You both won a round each!" Karen said, concern and worry in her voice.

"Don't worry, I got this!" I exclaimed. This time, I added more wind to the mix.

Laguna once again found a way to use it against me, however, and put in more energy into moving the ship towards her.

I used my strength to pull the ship back to me successfully, but Laguna was using her mind, changing its course back to her.

Looking up at the dark clouds above us, I decided to try something new.

Raising my other hand, I raised it towards the clouds, and with another sound of thunder, it started to rain. The harsh winds started to pick up between us, and now, I can see the ancient war game on the inside.

Both of us were now in a power struggle, the ship back in the center, turning clockwise and counter-clockwise as we struggled for it to come to our side.

My heartbeat increased as a violent gust of wind lashed out between us. I felt like I was in a storm, a battle overseas that only pirates in the stories get to describe.

And then, to my surprise, Laguna lifted her hand again, but instead of more rain, it was lightning.

This one I was familiar with for two reasons, though I won't say. I had a good idea of how to get this to work for me!

But then, all of a sudden, my vision fades.

* * *

_It was dark around me._

_This was just great! Another vision in the middle of a mermaid war game!_

_But if I was more than aware of what I was seeing, shouldn't I be able to wake myself up?_

_Then, I felt a rush of air forming around me, almost like a tornado was sucking me in._

_Oh please, oh please,_ **oh please** _, let it not be another stormy nightmare! I barely sleep enough as it is! I closed my eyes as I braced myself for a possible impact._

_Eventually, the air stopped and I opened my eyes again._

_My eyes widened in shock and bewilderment._

_Suddenly, I found myself in the one place I never thought I'd set foot in again._

_The moon pool on Mako Island._

_What could be Marana's game? Her control of me was there, but this place?_

_Why am I here?_

_Looking into the moon pool, I saw a figure swim in through the entrance. I quickly moved away, not knowing which mermaid was here._

_But when I saw the hands of the mermaid pull themselves out of the poll, I officially felt like I was going to faint._

_It was me!_

_Well, it was me, red hair and all from when I was in Queensland._

_But if that version of me is here..._

_Oh no._

_I knew exactly where I was now._

_I watched in fear as my old-self got onto the sand and dried herself, leaving her back in her human form. I cringed when I saw the locket around her neck._

_Even though I was moonstruck at the time, that didn't mean I didn't look any more menacing than I did before._

_For a moment, I saw the evilness in me, and I now wonder whether or not Marana did have some influence over me at the time. The look in my eyes was something I didn't think, even at my angriest state, was something I could pull off._

_Eventually, I saw three other forms swim in, and in no-time, Rikki, Cleo, and Emma were standing in front of me._

_Or us, or whatever!_

_I walked towards my other-self and began to reason with her._

_"You don't have to do this! I understand, you're angry, hurt, and you're tired, but please don't do this! You won't win!" I yelled._

_But it seemed like she couldn't hear me, and with a menacing voice, crueler than I remember me sounding that fateful night, she spoke,_

_"Well, well, well, nice to see you three join the party."_

_Wait a minute, I never said that!_

_Emma spoke, "You're not going to win, Charlotte. You're moonstruck! You're not yourself!"_

_Trust her to be the voice of reason._

_"Oh, come on Emma, she's too far gone and you know it!" Rikki exclaimed._

_But then there's Rikki._

_I looked at Cleo and saw the glare she was sending towards the Old Charlotte. I felt a shiver go down my spine, but she didn't seem to notice._

_But then again, I'd wronged her the most. I had every right to feel it._

_Then Old Charlotte spoke again._

_"I don't believe that, girls. Do you really think you can defeat me?" she said in such a mean, sarcastic tone that I wondered how I pulled that off in the first place._

_"Give it up, Charlotte! Just because you have more powers than us doesn't make you any better!" Cleo yelled with much conviction._

_But then Old Charlotte laughed and looked at the moon pool as it started to bubble._

_"Wanna know something, girls? 50 years ago, my grandmother gave up her very tail here, on this particular alignment. Now, I think it's time you three retired your tails...permanently," she said, eerily calmly._

_All three girls were shocked at this revelation._

_"Have you lost your mind!?"_

_"There's no way that's gonna happen!"_

_"Get over yourself! This is the very reason no one wants you around!"_

_Both I and Old Charlotte stiffened at those words. Please tell me it wasn't Cleo who had just said that!_

_The old me at the time never had friends because she was always bullied, and even then, the others who were bullied like me didn't come near me._

_And she officially started the explosion._

_"Well, **Cleo** ," the Old Charlotte said her name with much venom in her voice, "maybe you could consider this a vacation. The girl who has everything never knows true pain until it hits them!"_

_Just as the moon pool was fully bubbling, Old Charlotte raised her hands from the water, up to the air, where 3 snakes made out of the water, rose and, under her command, attacked the girls._

_I watched helplessly as the girls cowered together as the circled them, pushing them closer to the edge of the pool_

_Cleo managed to use her powers to manipulate the snakes away from them, but it came closer just came closer instead._

_I saw Emma freeze one of the snakes' heads, but by turning to look at Old Charlotte, her mistake was made as the ice reverted to water and it pulled her into the pool._

_"EMMA!" Cleo screamed._

_I witnessed Rikki finally losing it and boiling the snakes all around her. My heart started to rest a little. Rikki technically had the most useful but dangerous power of the three._

_But it seemed like Old Charlotte had enough tricks up her sleeve. She conjured up three more snakes and, with the moon's power, formed one menacing, and terrifyingly-realistic King Cobra._

_Showing its fangs towards the two girls, Rikki raised her hand to conduct electricity at it, but size did not matter as it moved, missing the lightning by seconds and, taking a lesson from Emma's frozen snakehead, Old Charlotte froze the cobra's head._

_I didn't think shock fully ran through me as I witnessed the cobra slam its head into Rikki, knocking the wind out of her and pushing her into the moon pool. The snake then dissolved immediately._

_"RIKKI!" Cleo screamed._

_"STOP!" I screamed. None of these things happened, none of the words said were even spoken, yet it feels like I was here and this was too real for me to handle._

_Now it was just Old Charlotte and Cleo. How fitting! The old me knocked out two of Cleo's best friends and allies!_

_I couldn't help but smile as I saw the brave face Cleo tried to put on._

_"You don't scare me, Charlotte! You're never going to get away with this!" she yelled. Old Charlotte gave a short laugh._

_"Oh really? Try me!" she challenged._

_Cleo took a large amount of water from the moon pool and formed a water sphere the size of my body. This must've have been the most power she ever generated._

_She threw it at Old Charlotte and it was a stand-off. I had a brief moment of déjà-vu and realized it was just like at the park when I took the locket._

_I could see the power struggle between the two and it wasn't like I could control the outcome. Old Charlotte was having a little trouble channeling all that water and was putting up an effort. But just when it seemed like Cleo had the upper hand and managed to push Old Charlotte closer to the edge, it felt like something snapped in old Charlotte._

_"Still. PATHETIC!" Old Charlotte yelled, melting the water orb, causing steam to flow everywhere, but she used the power of the winds to blow it away and started using them to surround Cleo._

_I knew what was about to happen!_

_I felt my heartbeat race as unstoppable speeds as Old Charlotte lifted Cleo into the air, and hearing her screams nearly made my heart stop._

_The tears down her eyes, the fear greatly expressed on my face..._

_I briefly wondered if that's how I looked when the girls had me in the air._

_I screamed at Old Charlotte, "Stop it! Please! It's over, you won! Leave her alone!"_

_I felt tears running down my face and for a moment, it felt like Cleo and I were going through the same thing._

_"STOP!" I screamed once again. Cleo looked down in fear as she saw the bubbling moon pool below her. Looking at Emma and Rikki now, I just realized that they were now in their clothes._

_They'd lost their tails._

_I looked back at Old Charlotte, and for a brief moment, or possibly a second, she looked in my direction before turning to give Cleo a cruel smile before talking,_

_"Oh Cleo, I did have a lot of personal things against you. But then I realized, the longer you stayed a mermaid, the longer you lost your humanity. Think of this as me doing you a favor and **giving it back!** "_

_And with one hand motion, I watched in tears as Cleo fell into the moon pool._

_"CLEO!" Emma and Rikki shouted._

_I screamed._

* * *

" ** _NOOOO!_** "

Laguna nearly missed the lightning bolt at the last minute as I dove into the pool.

And once at the bottom, I officially broke down in tears, more than I have in an entire year.


	33. The Final Breakdown

**_Previously..._ **

**_ "ANE'LIE, YOU WILL RETURN TO ME AT ONCE!" _ **

_..._

_"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"_

_..._

_ " **Nope. You see, in your honor, I beat up the royal crap out of some jock that had the nerve to talk about you so badly that the act itself would have been nonconsensual. So, instead of being suspended or expelled, the principal 'volunteered' me into helping the Student Council throw this big, costumed Halloween Bash! So first off, you're welcome. Secondly, I don't believe that show will happen on the 31st. I believe it's not announced yet and your choir teacher has yet to hear about this!** " _

_..._

_Instead of scribbles and nonsense as I expected, it was, as if it was taken out of a polaroid, it a picture of me and Riley._

_His arm left arm was wrapped around me as I laid my head on his shoulder, my eyes looked closed for a brief second, while he was looking down at me, smiling, with his sunglasses on. There was enough 'light' to see the love in them while his other hand, despite not being seen, held the 'camera'._

_..._

_"Back in the old days, mermaids would often use this as a way of disputing territories and, for fun, messing with humans. So, they played an ancient war game in which is similar to a tug of war. Only instead of rope, we are using a ship. Jonathan, bring it in!" Laguna commanded._

_..._

_Then, Laguna pulled the ship back into the center._

_"Well, I see you've brushed up on telekinesis and your heat powers. A mermaid can use whatever powers she has. Now, let's get a little harder," Laguna said, using two hands._

_The ship started to move towards Laguna again and I brought out both of my hands as well._

_This time, while using my mind, I created waves around the ship, turning it away from Laguna and towards me._

_But Laguna created another set of waves, bigger ones, using it to move towards her again and, with her mind, pulling it to the range and claiming it._

_..._

_And then, to my surprise, Laguna lifted her hand again, but instead of more rain, it was lightning._

_This one I was familiar with for two reasons, though I won't say. I had a good idea of how to get this to work for me!_

_But then, all of a sudden, my vision fades._

_..._

**_ "Oh Cleo, I did have a lot of personal things against you. But then I realized, the longer you stayed a mermaid, the longer you lost your humanity. Think of this as me doing you a favor and giving it back!" _ **

**_ And with one hand motion, I watched in tears as Cleo fell into the moon pool. _ **

**_ "CLEO!" Emma and Rikki shouted. _ **

_..._

_" **NOOOO!** "_

* * *

**Karen's POV**

No matter how much Jon rubbed my shoulders, trying to relax me as best as he could for me in my current state, the anxiety was building up for me faster than morning sickness on a good day!

I kept rubbing my belly as I glued my eyes to the pool. I sent Brendan in after Charlotte the moment after Mother narrowly escaped being hit by lightning.

_Flashback..._

_I couldn't help but watch in nervousness as Mother and Charlotte dueled it out in the pool._

_I had to admit, Charlotte was doing well on her own, but when Mother pulled out the storm clouds, I got worried._

_"Mother, is this really necessary? You both won a round each!" I asked worriedly as the game now got more serious. This was supposed to go like a pretest, to see just what Charlotte knew and how we could progress it with self-defense._

_But of course, I forgot she had a competitive streak._

_"Don't worry, I got this!" Charlotte exclaimed as she kept her eyes on the ship. I felt another gush of wind added into the storm and could only hope Mother knew what she doing._

_I watched in anticipation as the miniature ship was caught in a power struggle between the two mermaids. Charlotte was doing a surprisingly good job at keeping the ship in her direction and the display of her powers was most impressive._

_However, Mother had centuries of practice on her. No matter what the girl did, she always knew how to use the storm against Charlotte and work to her advantage._

_As the struggle got more intense increased, I couldn't help but be amazed at how much control Charlotte manages to have to keep up with Mother._

_She was learning._

_When Charlotte raised her hand, I expected her to add more wind again, but then she surprised me by adding rain to the mix. I felt Brendan get behind me when some of it splashed towards me and Jon._

_"What's wrong? Afraid of a little rain?" Jonathan asked under his breath. I smirked and whacked him on the shoulder while I could **feel** the glare my son was giving him._

_Looking at the ship was making my head dizzy. It was going from back and forth, clockwise and counter-clockwise, and I was tempted to get up and call it a stalemate._

_But then, Mother added lightning and I saw Charlotte smirk. There must be a way for her to use this against my mother._

_I watched as she maneuvered the ship to stop turning, a feat in itself._

_Mother went to pull the ship towards her, but Charlotte managed to keep it still. The expression the girl had on her face was absolutely calm._

_The whole point of the game was to get the ship to your side to claim it._

_What was she planning?_

_Charlotte raised her hand towards the ship, and my eyes widened as I saw a whirlpool forming under the ship, causing it to go clockwise._

_I looked to Mother as she tried to diffuse the whirlpool, but somehow, Charlotte was keeping extra control of it._

_Next, she started to move the whirlpool towards her, and the ship with it. Mother tried to pull the ship from under her grasp but went unsuccessful._

_This continued until Mother froze the whirlpool, causing it to stop at a halt._

_Mother smirked triumphantly at this, but when I looked at Charlotte's face, her expression was neutral._

_But is it just me or..._

_Did her eyes just darken?_

_"Charlotte, are you okay?" I asked hesitantly._

_She didn't turn toward me but simply nodded._

_And then, Charlotte used her heat powers to unfreeze the whirlpool, causing the steam to go up into the storm clouds, creating an even bigger storm than before._

_" **I don't like losing** ," Charlotte stated menacingly. Her eyes almost looking black._

_Mother and I looked at each other and we both knew something was wrong._

_This time, Charlotte seemed to be manipulating the clouds rather than the ship. The wind started to lash out violently, causing the rain to hit me and my family, rendering Brendan a merman._

_"MOM! What is she doing?!" Brendan exclaimed while groaning. He hated being in his other form when not needed._

_Mother managed to stop the rain from touching her, but now there was a new power struggle. But instead of the ship, it was the control over the storm._

_Mother sent her own set of powerful winds at Charlotte, but then she smirked back and, using the winds and the atmosphere altogether, I watched what she created._

_Around the ship, 4 dark spots started to form spirals on the ship, and the spirals increased and increased its speed until 4 cloud funnels emerged from the storm and made contact with the spirals._

_And the widths increased in size as well._

_Not liking the look of those waterspouts she created, I got onto my feet and decided to call out a draw._

_"Alright, you two! This is a draw, a stalemate, or whatever you call it! Charlotte, you're taking this too far!" I exclaimed._

_This time, Charlotte looked at me and I almost screamed._

_She turned to me. Her face was filled with hatred and her eyes were full black._

_" **I. Don't. Like. LOSING!** " she screamed, sending a violent wind at me. I held my belly with both arms as I was pushed down, but thankfully, Jon caught me just in time with his arms._

_Jon looked at her with something quite close to pissed off, but I had to calm him down._

_"Jon, this isn't her! This has to be Marana controlling her!"_

_"And you think I can't tell! That voice she used wasn't even hers!" he argued, glaring at Charlotte. Or Marana rather._

_I watched with terrified eyes as Charlotte brought the waterspouts on top of the ship, dismembering and destroying the ship._

_I could only hope Charlotte snapped out of it because words went only to Marana directly._

_Suddenly, she used Charlotte's hands to make a thunderous march as lightning bolts paraded on the dismembered parts of the ship. The wooden parts blasted and burned into ashes and the metal parts just conducted towards it into the water._

_I looked back at Charlotte, whose eyes were trained directly to Mother, used the thunder clouds to threaten and intimidate her._

_But even though she was using the most of her power, Mother wasn't doing so good against Marana. I had no doubt she figured it out, but even if she could, only Charlotte could break her hold._

_And suddenly, Marana raised Charlotte's hands towards the clouds again, when a bright light appeared._

_I looked back one last time to Charlotte, and the utter amazement hit me as her black eyes reverted to chocolate brown, but her face was one of immense trauma._

_" **NOOOO!** " Charlotte screamed, causing Mother to duck as an aimed bolt of lightning missed her by a few mere inches._

_The shock took me by surprise. All I heard was a splash and Charlotte was gone._

_Flashback ends..._

I held my breath as Brendan surfaced up from the water. And his sadden expression didn't help one bit.

"Well?" I asked.

"You know the phrase, 'You look like someone kicked your puppy'? Well, the look on Char's face is as if somebody ran over her puppy, checked to see if it was dead, spat on it, made fun of her over it, and then drove off laughing."

I couldn't even begin to describe the look on my face at his description, while Jon mostly likely got it. But Brendan continued with it.

"Sadistic, I know. But Charlotte's not coming up anytime soon and I think forcing her won't help either," he concluded, getting ready to get out the pool. But I stopped him.

I looked up at Jonathan in concern. He had told me about his and Charlotte's little talk, which surprised me that he was even able to be reasonable with her at all, especially with the tone he used, and hoped that he could help.

"Brendan, did she look at you while you were down there?" he asked, a stoic on his face. But if anyone could look closely at him, and knew who he was, then you'd be able to see the concern in his eyes.

"No. She was looking down and, had she been on the surface...it looked a lot like she was crying. Mom, what was going on with her during the game?"

"That's because Marana had full control of her. Wouldn't you say so, my dear?" Laguna said, walking towards them with a towel her hand. Mother may not have fallen in, but even the storm took enough of her energy and got her wet.

I nodded. I know Charlotte broke herself out of whatever trance Marana had over her. The girl would never attack me in my state, and definitely would not hit Mother with lightning!

"Jon, honey, is there any way you could-"I started, but he held his hand up, stopping me in mid-sentence. He groaned.

"I must love you if you want me to bring the girl up," I heard him mutter as he left my side and, along with beckoning Brendan, jumped into the pool.

When they went under, I turned to Mother. She had already developed bags under her eyes and already tired. Now, she was glaring at me.

"So, do you now understand why I can't teach her? Marana got to her the moment I challenged the girl!" she exclaimed.

"No, I was watching her!" I countered, recalling the game in my head, "it must have been after you added lightning into the storm. She was...unusually calm. Like she knew she had the upper hand in the game. I swear Marana must have taken over then. Can you go through any of her memories and find anything related to lightning."

Mother considered this and suddenly went stiff. Her hands were by her side, posture straightened, and her eyes looked straight ahead, but not looking at anything in particular.

This was what she looked like when she goes through Charlotte's memories.

At first, when the switch happened, it was, as she described it, a 'Flash-Forward'.

Pictures and images flashed before her at once, so many things yet she understood it all. Especially from a new perspective. After this, and her talk with Charlotte, she made sure to never go through the girl's memories without a good reason to. She had already invaded Charlotte's privacy without meaning to.

This was the least Mother felt she could do.

Eventually, she came back into the present time, and this time, her anger at me was replaced with sadness.

"Mother?" I asked hesitantly.

"It has something to do with Charlotte's 'supposed' last night with as a mermaid," Mother said sourly. I winced.

Mother never gave me the full details on how Charlotte lost her tail, exactly, but if that particular memory sparked Marana taking over...

There was a big splash and I looked up to see Brendan emerge with Jon carrying Charlotte in his arms bridal style. Mother quickly grabbed a rolling stool where he laid the girl down on before grabbing a towel as well.

I quickly put Charlotte's head on my lap and rubbed her wet hair soothingly. Even from Jon's arms, I could tell that she was shaking and the sobs were just...terrible.

"I'm a horrible person, I'm a horrible person, I'm a horrible person..." I heard her muttering repeatedly and my blood boiled.

**What the hell did Marana do to her!?**

I started to shush her, calming her down to my best abilities, trying to at least find a way to get her talking. She was clinging to my maternity dress, her eyes red as tears flood down her face like a waterfall.

All I could do was wipe the tears away.

* * *

**_30 minutes later..._ **

Charlotte finally stopped crying and woke up from a mini nap, that Mother induced her into, human again. When she looked at me, I swore she had aged 30 years right before me before asking what happened.

"What happened? _WHAT HAPPENED!?_ " Brendan shouted angrily, scaring the hell out of everyone, "First off, you turned a simple war game into a freakin' storm. Then, you created some wicked powerful waterspouts that destroyed the ship. Next, you nearly killed my baby sister by pushing Mom to the ground. You're _soooo_ lucky Jonathan caught her in time. And lastly... ** _you almost hit Grams with a lightning bolt!?_** "

I could understand why my son was angry, but the moment Charlotte's eyes dimmed, if they weren't already, and filled with absolute guilt before looking down at her hands, I shut him down!

"BRENDAN MICHEAL COVE!" I yelled, "I want you out of this cave and in your room! And if I come up there and you're not sitting your butt on your bed, I swear I will-"

"Don't even bother with that threat!" Jon interrupted me again, "I'll take the boy upstairs and talk to him. You and your mother find out what happened."

And this is why, Ladies and Gentlemen, I married this man!

Jon roughly grabbed Brendan by the collar of his neck and dragged him out the grotto. He was still glaring at Charlotte, but my glare outdid him and he put his head down.

We waited until I heard a rumbling and then a slam, signaling that they were gone.

I looked back down to Charlotte, gently grasped her chin and lifted it, causing her to look up at me. A fresh batch of tears had already started falling from her eyes.

"Charlotte, please...Tell us what happened. Ignore Brendan, that wasn't YOU! That was Marana who did those things, not you," I reasoned.

The tears started falling faster from her eyes and I wiped them quickly. She started shaking her head hastily as if what happened was too painful to bear. I started to console her again, but leave it to my mother to beat behind the bush.

"It had something to do with the night you lost your tail, isn't it?"

I felt Charlotte stiffen.

"Mother!" I exclaimed. Now she'll definitely won't open up to us!

Mother rolled her eyes, "Better now than later, Karen. You want an answer, you got to get it!"

I was so close to possibly grabbing Mother's neck and throttling it until...

"Yes."

I and Mother looked at Charlotte, who was starting to look up at us.

I swore, I saw how broken apart her soul was and I just wanted to hug her. But we did need to know what happened.

"After Laguna added the lightning, I blacked out," she started, before taking in a shaky breath, "I found myself back on...back on Mako, at the moon pool! At first, I was confused until I saw a mermaid swim through the underwater entrance. I stood back, thi-thinking it was one of the girls...but it wasn't."

I noticed that she was starting to shake and tremble again, so I held her steady. Mother beckoned her to continue.

"...It was me," she gasped, "I mean, not **_Present_** Me, more like **_Past_** Me. Who I was before I left Australia. And I know- I knew it was in the past because I was wearing the locket again. I nearly fainted when I saw myself there. I knew I was moonstruck at the time, but the Old Me looked so...so...evil. There was a look in her eyes, something so dark and filled with hatred, I wondered if Marana had control over me at that time. But then, the girls appeared. I tried calling out to her, trying to tell her that she didn't need to take her path as far as this, but I was like the Scrooge in ' ** _A Christmas Carol_** '. No matter what I said or did, nobody was listening to me!"

I was already shocked at what I was hearing, Mother looked gobsmacked, and I soothingly wiped the tears falling from her face. There's more.

"I remembered hearing myself using a cruel, **_cruel_** voice. Emma was the only one who tried to be reasonable, but Rikki, as expected, was angry with me. But Cleo...she glared at me so hard, I felt it yet the Old Charlotte didn't. It started to play as it happened, but the words that were said... ** _They were never said at all_**! When Old Me told the girls what I planned, they protested. Cleo hit a nerve on both me and the Old Charlotte, about people never wanting to be around us. I have been excessively bullied all my childhood and even other kids that got picked on didn't want to be friends with me!" Charlotte exclaimed, "I mentally had hoped that those words weren't said by her but from Rikki. But they weren't."

Oh no. Even I knew such childhood traumas, and worse, could cause enough anger to lift a car.

"Then, the Old Charlotte got angry, and it was nearly exactly how the showdown went. Only, I was more...dark. I noticed things that back then, during the battle, I didn't notice before. She attacked the girls and made them move closer to the edge of the pool, but they fought back. Cleo manipulated the attack, while Rikki boiled it away from her. But Emma, she froze it and looked at Old Charlotte. This was her mistake and when the attack backfired on her...she got pulled into the moon pool. The girls screamed and I...I somehow managed to use Rikki's anger against her. I was so sneaky. I created this powerful King Cobra and when she tried to aim lightning at it, I moved it away fast and, like Emma did, froze the cobra's head. And, before the shock settled in, the snake rammed into Rikki, knocking the wind out of her like a powerful punch to the guts, thrusting her backward and sending the rebellious mermaid harshly into the moon pool," Charlotte said, her voice filled with remorse.

It bugged me that she kept using "I" and "Old Charlotte", during the events, as if they were the same no matter which point of view it was and did this! I planned to talk to her about that! The only thing shared between her past and her present was her body! Nothing more!

"After that, it was just me and Cleo. She generated enough power and brought out at least a large body of water from the pool. After that...it was a power struggle. I was rooting for Cleo, she deserved this and justice for her friends' tails. And the Old Charlotte was struggling this time. I felt my heart starting to calm down as Cleo started to push me backward towards the moon pool. But suddenly, I felt something snap and the water boiled until steam was everywhere! Then, Old Charlotte...she used wind powers to clear everything and then...and then..." Charlotte broke down in tears again and I quickly hugged her.

No one willing admits their mistakes as she did, but at the same time...

"A-And then, I-I lifted Cleo u-up in the air, as the girls did to me...and I told her that I was g-giving her back her humanity before I... ** _BEFORE I DROPPED HER INTO THE FREAKIN' MOON POOL!_** "

No one should ever have to see themselves as the Devil.

I hugged her as tightly as I could while looking at Mother. Her face matched mine and I knew her heart went out to Charlotte.

Marana did it. She broke the camel's back!

The tears I felt the girl spill made me want to cry with her. No wonder she was so upset when she was out of the pool.

She witnessed her biggest nightmare.

Once again, Mother put her into an induced sleep and I got Jon to take her home. She was still fidgeting and whimpering in her sleep. She looks so fragile...so vulnerable.

But now, I wasn't sad anymore. I was livid!

"How do you destroy a monster without becoming one? Easy. By finding someone else's inner crimes and releasing them, make sure they destroy themselves in the process so you don't have to release yours," I stated, in both seriousness and sarcasm, as the venom and malice spit from me in a tone I didn't think Brendan even got to hear it!

"And what is **_that_** supposed to mean?" Mother inquired, now worried about me from her tone.

I looked straight into her eyes.

"I mean: Marana hit her where she hurts the most. One way to hurt someone is to hurt them with their crimes. Marana freakin' broke Charlotte by showing the girl's worst nightmare: The big 'What If' of the night Charlotte lost her tail!" I stated, the effect finally setting in.

And if there's a God, he better has mercy on that poor girl. She's going to need it.

* * *

**Charlotte's POV**

The ride home was...dull. My 5 senses were dull and void, so distracting myself wasn't an option.

Not that it would help.

I just looked down at my two hands, and shame and guilt filled me like it was nothing.

How could I have done such a thing?

I...the vision wasn't real. The vision was not **_supposed_** to be real!

I didn't do that...did I?

The terrified and scared faces of the girls constantly paraded my brain, clouding my vision until there was only them. Emma's sadness and betrayal, Rikki's rage, and Cleo's...Cleo's well-placed anger.

I tried screaming at my old self, trying anything to get her to listen to reason. That maybe the girls never meant to hurt her, that revenge was pointless!

And then, the anger in Brendan's eyes shook me. He's never been angry at me before. Yes, we bicker and mess around, but never serious fights.

But then, he told me how I almost killed Laguna and nearly caused Karen to lose her baby.

And this...and I did that.

 ** _IT WAS MY BODY, MY HANDS!_** As long as it's my body doing these things, it is always going to be my fault!

I felt my heart rate accelerate and a painful throbbing was forming. My voice started to hitch and it took a lot of my self-control. Jonathan was sitting right next to me and he didn't need to see my panic attack so soon.

I was planning on having it back at the house.

* * *

**_At Charlotte's house..._ **

After I got out of the van, I noticed that the front door was open.

My heart quickened as if it hadn't already, and I threw the door open before rushing in.

"MOM! MOM!" I yelled, hoping she wasn't attacked or anything. Attack, attack, attack! Today has been full of attacks!

I found the back door wide open and rushed outside.

Only, I wasn't sure what to think.

My mother was outside again, working in the garden. But this time, I heard the laughter with her.

Hoisting a bag of dirt over his shoulder and onto the ground, it was Riley. He was dirty from the work, evident from his soiled-covered, sleeveless t-shirts. The laughing ceased when they saw me.

Oh great. My heart was going abnormally fast and my breathing should not be where it was. And now I have to deal with him.

Riley came over to me first, and I quickly tried to walk away back into the house, preferably my bedroom, when Riley caught my hand.

I looked at it and almost noticed the defined muscles on his arms before shaking it off.

"What do you want?" I asked hastily. I could feel my breath getting heavier by the seconds and it wasn't good!

"Well, I wanted to see you, Charlie. And instead of leaving, I chose to help your mom," he said, now looking concerned, "Are you okay?"

"Oh, me? Fine! Never better! Now, I'm gotta go!" I said, my voice rising as I tried to walk away. But Riley stopped me.

"No, you're not! Your eyes are red, your face is swollen and there's no light in your eyes. I should get your mom to come to look at you or something," he said worriedly.

I felt the anxiety coming off me and I knew he could too. So, I slowly backed away towards the pool, hoping some distance from him would at least have some effect on me long enough to make it to my bedroom.

But that wasn't happening.

Riley called my mom over, and suddenly, despite the space around me, he and my mom's hovering is making me feel claustrophobic.

"Sweetie, are you okay?" she asked, taking my face into her hands and inspecting me. Usually, her presence made e feel calm, but all I wanted to do was get away from her!

I shook my head out of her grasp. "Don't worry, mom, I'm fine. Just finished working in the garden, I'll help you tomorrow."

"No, your not," she said persistently, "Did something happen at work? Did somebody harass you or touch you in any kind of way?"

"No! The only one who did the harassing is the guy next to you!" I exclaimed, regretting my words instantly.

"What?!"

Oh crap.

"No, not really," Riley defended himself, "the only thing I did was get up on a table and ask her out in front of the entire restaurant. Nothing major!"

Suddenly, I felt my heartbeat increase even more and now my hard breathing was evident.

"Charlotte, please, are you sick or something?" my mom asked, placing a hand on my forehead, "You seem flustered? Do you have a fever?"

Without thinking, I smacked her hand off me and moved away from them.

"Yes, I just had a rough day and I need to lie down. So, goodnight!" I said hastily, my voice pitched. Pitched voice, heavy breathing, claustrophobic anxiety, and accelerated heartbeats.

Not good!

I tried walking away again, but this time a hand grabbed me and something snapped in me. All of the pain, the throbbing, the hurt...I just let it out. All at once.

I turned around and screamed, "LEAVE. ME. **_ALONE!_** "

Suddenly the wind picked up and without realizing it, using telekinesis, raised my hands and thrust them out, forcefully sending Riley into the pool, and hopefully out cold.

I heard a satisfying splash as he went, mid-air, into the pool. I was having a bad day and I didn't need his pestering anytime soon, now, tomorrow, or **_ever_**!

But after a few minutes, my eyes then widened in horror as I realized it. Riley wasn't the only one who went in.

It was my mother too.

So many emotions ran through me at once, it seemed impossible to tell which came first and which came last.

I stared at my hands once again.

**_What have I done!?_ **

I looked up as Riley climbed out of the pool, drenched and soaking wet, as he pulled out my unconscious mother as well. Instead of him, she was knocked out cold!

He looked at me, in concern and...fear?

Fear. It was fear.

"Char-" he started, but I ran off. I finally broke.

I ran inside and almost flew up the stairs to my bedroom, where I slammed my door harshly and laid my back against it.

And then, sliding down to the floor, letting out my panic in full swing, I cried.

I cried for the girls, I cried for the Coves, cried for Riley, Alaine, my mom...

I cried for everyone I ever hurt and let down. For all the pain I've produced in nearly 18 years of my existence, that's all I'm good for.

I'm a monster.


	34. The Downspiral: Sadness Part 1

**_Previously..._ **

_"Well?"_

_"You know the phrase, 'You look like someone kicked your puppy'? Well, the look on Char's face is as if somebody ran over her puppy, checked to see if it was dead, spat on it, made fun of her over it, and then drove off laughing."_

_I quickly put Charlotte's head on my lap, or what's left of it, and rubbed her wet hair soothingly. Even from Jon's arms, I could tell that she was shaking and the sobs were just...terrible._

_"I'm a horrible person, I'm a horrible person, I'm a horrible person..." I heard her muttering repeatedly and my blood boiled._

_"I remembered hearing myself using a cruel,_ **_cruel_ ** _voice. Emma was the only one who tried to be reasonable, but Rikki, as expected, was angry with me. But Cleo...she glared at me so hard, I felt it yet the Old Charlotte didn't. It started to play as it happened, but the words that were said..._ **_They were never said at all_ ** _! When Old Me told the girls what I planned, they protested. Cleo hit a nerve on both me and the Old Charlotte, about people never wanting to be around us. I have excessively bullied all my childhood and even other kids that got picked on didn't want to be friends with me!" Charlotte exclaimed, "I mentally had hoped that those words weren't said by her but from Rikki. But they weren't."_

_"How do you destroy a monster without becoming one? Easy. By finding someone else's inner crimes and releasing them, make sure they destroy themselves in the process so you don't have to release yours," I stated, in both seriousness and sarcasm, as the venom and malice spit from me in a tone I didn't think Brendan even got to hear it!_

**_IT WAS MY BODY, MY HANDS!_ ** _As long as it's my body doing these things, it is always going to be my fault!_

_I felt my heart rate accelerate and a painful throbbing was forming. My voice started to hitch and it took a lot of my self-control. Jonathan was sitting right next to me and he didn't need to see my panic attack so soon._

_I turned around and screamed, "LEAVE. ME._ **_ALONE!_** "

**_What have I done!?_ **

_I looked up as Riley climbed out of the pool, drenched and soaking wet, as he pulled out my unconscious mother as well. Instead of him, she was knocked out cold!_

_I'm a monster._

**_October 6th, 2009, Tuesday, Morning..._ **

**3rd POV**

The first thing Charlotte woke up to was the beeping of her alarm clock. It was ringing all through the room, bouncing off the walls, breaking the mermaid out of her dreamless slumber.

The first thing was Charlotte did was adjust her eyes to the slightly-lit room. The only light on was from her clock and a nightlight that was plugged in the wall. Other than that, her room was relatively dark, but she could still tell she must have slept the night away.

_Slept the night away..._

Almost instantly, the last few memories from the other day flashed before her eyes and it was now taking all she had not to cry.

How could she have let her emotions get the best of her?

How could she have hurt anyone close to her like that? Yeah, she was upset and on the verge of a **_VERY_** bad mental breakdown, but that didn't justify anything.

Nothing she did ever have.

Looking at the clock, Charlotte moved her back off the door, wincing at the pain in her back as she got off the floor as she stretched.

" ** _Ugh_** ," Charlotte groaned. Her back was stiff and hurt like hell. Did she sleep on the floor all night? Against the door?

Wincing again, she realized: That would be a Yes.

Charlotte looked down at the clothes she wore the previous day and couldn't help but groan in frustration as she changed to new clothes. She didn't have time to take a bath and then dry her tail in the process, but she did have scented oils, and, luckily, she only had Choir for the day.

Changing into a blue, striped blouse and some dark pants with some sneakers, she opened her bedroom door to see Thomas looking up at her.

"What?" she asked, not expecting him to answer back.

Then, he started barking before grabbing her satchel with his mouth and dragging it downstairs.

"Thomas!" she exclaimed before chasing after him.

Yesterday was not the best day of life and I wanted to turn a new leaf.

... ** _Oh, who was she kidding?!_**

She nearly killed Laguna, Brendan hates her, Alaine is reverting into her old ways, and using her powers out in front of her Mom and Riley was the tip of the iceberg! And now she...!

She used her powers on her Mom and Riley...

_She used her powers on her Mom..._

**_She used her powers..._ **

**_SHE USED HER POWERS IN FRONT OF THEM!_ **

Now, Charlotte had a good idea of what Thomas wanted her to do.

Not only had she been knocked out all night, but someone had to get her unconscious mother out the pool.

Rushing into the living room, she finds her mom nursing an icepack on her head with one hand and drinking coffee with another. Charlotte looked down to see Thomas sitting beside her feet with her satchel beside her.

She looked up at me and smiled.

And she couldn't have felt guiltier.

"Good morning, sweetie. How did you sleep?" she asked her daughter.

"...My back is stiff. I don't think I slept comfortably that night," Charlotte lied, sort of. Her back **_is_** stiff, but she wasn't expecting her mother to be so calm.

"So...mom...Why do you have a bag of ice on your head?" she asked. Honestly, Charlotte was expecting her to go crazy at the teen and ask what happened last night.

"Honestly..." she started. Charlotte held her breath and stood still.

And she waited. She waited for her eyes to bug out.

She waited for her to look up at Charlotte with shock, and possibly disgust, in her eyes.

She waited for her to say something, or rather scream.

She waited for her to something. Yell, scream, disown her, call the authorities, ANYTHING! Any reaction beyond the normal capacity would do!

But then she just shook her head.

"Honestly, I have no idea what happened. The last thing I remember was being outside, working on Alaine's garden, and the next...I woke up with this... pounding in my head and I woke up on the couch. And my clothes were damp," Annette concluded.

Charlotte couldn't help but let out a long breath that was held deep inside her.

By all honesty, Charlotte was expecting anything but this. For the most part, she was glad her mom lost any memory, or hardly remembered her display of supernatural powers.

But part of her, maybe a small part of her subconscious, actually wanted her to know.

"Well, I'm sorry about your head. You should probably take an aspirin to get better. I'm going to take the bus to school," she said, "since you're not feeling well and all."

Annette shook her head and slowly took the ice pack off.

"No, I can take you. Just give me a minute to grab my keys and..." she started, but her daughter cut her off.

"No," she said, grabbing my satchel, "you need to rest and it's not like I haven't ridden the bus before."

Charlotte looked down at Thomas, who seemed to be giving her worried eyes.

He had brought her down here to see her mom. No doubt he also saw what happened and wanted to see if she remembered anything too.

Looking back at her mom, Charlotte noticed the dark bags under her eyes and her pale skin. Thinking back to what her mom said earlier, she said she woke up in damp clothes.

Please tell her that Riley didn't at least try to dry her off before he left!

And now Annette might have a cold because of her!

Looking at a clock on the wall, she realized she had to get out of the house to catch her bus.

"Listen, I need to go. When I get back, I promise to help you with the garden when I get the chance. Love you! Bye!" Charlotte exclaimed hastily as she rushed out the front door.

"Charlotte! Charlotte!" Annette yelled after her, but the teen was long gone.

**_At Valencia High..._ **

**Charlotte's POV**

During the bus ride, I had an uneasy feeling in me, like today was going to change. And I wasn't going to like it.

What's the point? My life changed the moment I found out mermaids are real and I chose to become one! And as Fate would have it, I'm now stuck in a deal that was still binding after I lost control!

I never told Laguna this, but sometimes I wondered just how much "mermaid magic" was taken out of me that fateful night. 'Cause now I'm sure there are possible traces of it left in my DNA!

Checking my schedule again, I groaned. I honestly didn't want to go to work. I couldn't face the Coves right now. Yeah, Laguna and Karen told me that it wasn't my fault, but they've never been to the magnitude that I've been. They didn't watch themselves enjoy pure delight as they broke three girls' hearts. They didn't see the level of pure evilness on their doppelganger's face as they took the very powers that were practically _loved_ by said girls.

They didn't watch the horror unfold right in front of them and do anything about it.

I let out a sharp breath as I slowly walked towards my locker. I just knew this would not be my best day.

"Hey, Charlie."

I snapped my head up to see Riley leaning against my locker, looking at me with a straight face. He was expressionless and had his arms folded in front of him. The still look in his eyes clearly said: " _I'm-not-taking-No-for-an-answer!_ "

This was not good.

Suddenly, I could think of a hundred scenarios of how this would go down. One started with his asking a zillion questions on how I pretty much sent him flying into my pool, my mother alongside him.

The next was him telling me how much of a freak I was, or threatening blackmail or even calling the police if I decided to use my powers on him again, considering the possibility that he figured out that I do have powers, and then, I'd have to worry about him suspecting that I'm not the only one with abilities and- Oh God, this is so complicated and confusing as Hell and there's no way I can convince him that-

"Are you a Mutant?"

What the-?!

Out of all the things that could have come out of his mouth, he chose the craziest thing he could come up with! A mutant! Really?!

"Yeah, really," Riley stated, realizing I just said that last part out loud, "but that's the best I can come up with to explain what the hell happened last night!"

I pushed him off my locker and proceeded to get my stuff for class. I did not need this right now!

"And what exactly happened last night? I went to bed," I lied, hoping to sound as normal as possible.

But Riley wasn't buying it.

"Yeah, and I'm Doctor Who! I know what I saw last night, Charlotte. Whatever you did, you sent me and your mother flying into the air! Wait! Does she even know?!" he exclaimed.

"What she knows about me and what she **_doesn't_** is none of your business!" I retorted.

"Funny, seeing as I was the one to drag her out of the pool!"

"Oh good for you! You saved another woman from the brinks of death! Oh, your mother must be **_so_** proud! But wait? Isn't she 6-feet under, where your daddy put her?" I taunted harshly.

I honestly didn't even realize I said that until the words left my mouth. I started to apologize, but I knew I hit below the belt.

I swore I felt the heat radiating off of him for what I said. I don't even know why I said that, but it was like it was waiting at the tip of my tongue!

I didn't look up at him. My time in Queensland and with Jonathan can testify to when someone was furious.

But Riley...

He was LIVID!

"You know, I thought you were different than that. I thought you weren't the type to label people, especially when you don't know the truth. I thought you were completely different than that!" he exclaimed, banging on the lockers, leaving me to fearing for my life, "but now I see it. You're a hypocrite! I spent so much time going after you, and just when I think I have you figured out, you pull a complete 360! What's the matter with you? I get it. You're a freak. You hide from those so-called 'normal people' because you're too insecure about yourself that no one is allowed to see who you are! And to stoop so low to that...PEOPLE SAY THAT I'M THE ONE WITH ISSUES BUT YOU'RE THE REAL **_FREAK_** AROUND HERE! NOT ME!"

Suddenly, it was like everything was blocked out around me.

It was just me, all alone. No Riley, no busy hallways, no worrying, no….it was all silent.

My eyes were bugged out of their sockets and suddenly, I could hear the loud thumping of my heartbeat and it was echoing all around me. My breathing started to quicken as I found myself being pulled under into complete blackness.

Freak…

Freak…

Freak...

_Freak..._

**_Freak!_ **

**_Flashback..._ **

_Druid Hills High School, Atlanta, Georgia..._

_"Hey, Freak!"_

_I flinched at the harsh, taunting voice that came behind me. I was tempted to pull the hood over my head and walk away, but before I could I felt a hand grab me by the arm and throw me against the fence._

_I hissed in pain._

_Looking up, my eyes met the mocking glare of Georgia Walkers, the ring-leader of Druid Hills Princesses, and her two sidekicks, Nikki Roselle and Tamara Davis._

_The three had dedicated their year to make my life a living hell since I entered Druid Hills in the middle of the year, sometime after December._

_And it was a disaster from there!_

_It all started when I was trying to find my way through campus shortly after I moved to Atlanta when I slip and mistakenly caused a smoothie to fly onto Georgia blouse, causing it to be seen through and everyone staring…completely humiliating her in the process._

_I tried to apologize but I just got pushed down to the ground and told that I'd be sorry._

_After that, the teasing began. Turns out, I had EVERY. SINGLE. CLASS with her and her posy and I couldn't get away from them._

_Georgia was the stereotypical blonde supermodel that put Emma Gilbert's beauty to shame. She was a blonde girl with blue eyes that had all the guys following her like lost puppies and she ruled the school._

_Nikki Roselle was a Hispanic girl that spoke with an accent but was clear with her words. But that doesn't mean they were nice words._

_And Tamara Davis was a light-skinned African American and my unofficial rival in art class. She made it no problem criticizing my work or 'accidentally' messing up my drawing by spilling paint or 'mistakenly' steal my work and claimed it as her own._

_But the teasing didn't get worse until I mistakenly threw out my hands at them one day._

_It was stupid. I knew I didn't have my powers yet I made a gesture out as if I did._

_And since then, my new name was…_

" _Hey, Freak, what are you doing out here all alone? What? Nobody wanted to be around you so you decided to hang out by yourself?" Georgia taunted._

_Nikki snorted. "Oh please, she's probably wondering why David Brown suddenly decided to ask her out?"_

_I almost got sick to my stomach._

_David Brown was a basketball player and on the same royalty-level as Georgia. They were the type of couple that was supposed to get together._

_He had suddenly saved me from Georgia one day and asked me out to the movies. At the time, I wasn't looking for a boyfriend or anything, but I was stupid enough to yes. But the night he came to pick me up in his car, we drove until we found ourselves in the neck of the woods. He made it seem like he had a dead battery, but when I went to help him check it out, that's when he did the 180._

_He revved his engine and rolled his wheels, causing me to get covered in mud and drove off without me._

_I walked all the way home._

_It took me until midnight when I got home. Nearly gave mom a heart attack too at my appearance. I told my mom what happened, but to let it go before she started making police threats._

_Now I know how he got put up into that prank._

_Or rather, who._

_I tried to get up again, but this time, Tamara grabbed me by the collar and threw me to the ground. Hard._

_I hissed as I hit the ground with my right arm, probably breaking it too._

" _Maybe Fatso herself has a new trick out for us? What's the matter? Too freaky enough to show us your little powers? What are you going to do? Make it rain?" taunted Tamara, laughing._

" _I bet she'll have a show for us! Take this!" Nikki exclaimed, kicking me in the stomach._

_I gasped in pain as I curled up in a fetal position._

_KICK!_

_KICK!_

_KICK!_

_PUNCH!_

_THWACK!_

_I felt something heavy hit me and felt the contents of my backpack splatter all over me._

" _Come on Freak! Show us something!'_

" _Yeah, Freak! Get up and teach us a lesson!"_

" _Freak!"_

" _Freak!"_

" _Freak!"_

_And it all fades to black._

**_Flashback ends..._ **

It took me being shaken out of my memory when I finally became aware of my surroundings. I realized that I must have slid down to the floor, much like last night.

I looked around to see the entire student body staring holes into me and I remembered what happened a few minutes prior.

I looked up to see Riley looking at me in concern and guilt. Suddenly, bad memories started to cloud my judgment.

"No…" I mumbled, shaking my head, "no…"

I could feel my blood pressure rising and my breathing going hectic. Soon enough, I was heaving and I knew I **_had_** to getaway.

"Charlie…" I heard Riley say, but I just couldn't handle it.

I got up from the floor and picked up my things as I just started running. I could hear the murmurings and whisper from the crowd, words I didn't want to hear, as I covered my face and ran. I did my best to stop the tears from running down my face.

"Charlotte! Wait!" Riley exclaimed, trying to catch up with me.

But I was already gone.

I was towards the middle of the day, around lunchtime, that walked into the Band room. Sometimes Miss Anelies let the choir use it for various practices or to hold private meetings or such.

And after that 'dispute' with Riley, if one could even call it that, I just made myself fade into the crowd. I didn't want to be bothered. I didn't want to run into Riley.

I still don't know why I said the things that I said. I'm willing to admit that both of us crossed the line, but my nervous system still hasn't recovered from this morning's nightmare.

This was the first time in MONTHS, since moving to California, that I ever thought about the abusive nightmares that lead to the very depression that put me in the hospital!

It still gets to me that just **one** word can have such an impact.

Surrounded the small yet spacious room was several music instruments lying around the room, there was a grand piano that stood in all its glory.

I've seen Miss Annelies play it several times, even called her a prodigy, at her skills. She played so well it was like weaving a tapestry into the full-blown art itself.

I was broken out of my thoughts when I heard music beginning to play from the keys of the piano.

I hid a little behind a chair as I began to listen.

Suddenly, I silently hitched and covered my mouth.

It was Alaine's voice.

**_ I will worship the Lord _ **

**_ For He is worthy _ **

**_ I will lay down my sword _ **

**_ The Prince Of Peace is His name _ **

**_ King of the flood _ **

**_ The Lord is mighty _ **

**_ The Lord can quench the evil flame _ **

**_ Peace when trouble blows _ **

**_ Jehovah sees, Jehovah knows _ **

**_ He is my peace when sorrow nears _ **

**_ Jehovah sees, Jehovah hears _ **

**_ Feel the presence of God _ **

**_ Upon the water _ **

**_ Hear the voice of the Lord _ **

**_ Within the thunder that rolls _ **

**_ King of the flood _ **

**_ The Lord is mighty _ **

**_ The Lord can calm the troubled soul _ **

**_ Peace when trouble blows _ **

**_ Jehovah sees, Jehovah knows _ **

**_ He is my peace when sorrow nears _ **

**_ Jehovah sees, Jehovah hears _ **

**_ Like the breath _ **

**_ I need to live _ **

**_ Jehovah takes, Jehovah gives _ **

**_ Gives me peace _ **

**_ When trouble blows _ **

**_ Jehovah sees, Jehovah knows _ **

**_ Judgments coming, He is my peace _ **

**_ Men pursue me, He is my peace _ **

**_ Judge! Judgment is coming, He is my peace _ **

**_ Men pursue me, He is my peace _ **

Alaine had stopped playing by this time and I couldn't help but clap.

I noticed her jump and pop her eyes out when she saw me. I almost giggled. The expression on her face was one as if she got caught with her hand in the cookie jar.

"Al, that was amazing! Not the type of song you'd sing, but amazing none of the less," I concluded.

Then, she shook off her surprise and glared at me. I groaned internally.

I would be dealing with **_that_** Alaine.

"It's the song I'm singing for the Halloween show!" she exclaimed defensively, "And what do you mean that it's not the type of song I'd sing!?"

I raised my hands defensively. "I'm just saying, it's not your type. And I've heard you sing, Al. From VV Brown's ' _Shark in the Water_ ' to Alicia Keys' ' _No One_ ', to Rihanna's ' _Take a Bow_ ', to Mary J. Blige's ' _Just Fine_ ' to a hell of a lot more. You are the type to choose, and have the voice, for feel-good songs that also have a soul and leave a message. Plus, you are not fully a Christian girl but believe some of his ideal topics and make references now and then.

I know you, Alaine. And this song is NOT for you."

I look deep into Alaine's eyes, and I swore, for a hot few minutes, that I saw my best friend.

And even she couldn't disagree that I was on the spot for her music choices.

But then I was forced out by a hardened glare and zoomed out. I almost had her.

"I don't know what you're talking about, but you must be having me confused with someone else. My mother personally picked out this song!" she stated.

I rolled my eyes. Should've known Andrea would pull this.

"Seriously? What the hell has she done to you!? I don't understand how you're finally bowing down to that…that... despicable excuse of a human being after she's used you as a punching bag for so long! You're better than this. You're stronger than this!" I exclaimed, fury now showing.

I've been meaning to break through to her, but this is ridiculous!

Suddenly, I found Alaine right up in my face. For a moment, this was nearly similar to my confrontations with Cleo or Rikki but that was different.

This is my sister.

"You don't know anything! And judging by this morning's performance, you're one to talk! You love 'em and leave 'em! You think the whole world revolves around you when it doesn't, but play the victim card when nobody cares! Just like nobody cares about you! And for what? What could you have possibly done during you're entire 17 years of existing to deserve anyone, you self-centered, lonely bi-"

SLAP!

Those words shouldn't have bugged me.

Those words shouldn't have gotten to me.

Those words shouldn't have had any effect on me.

So why did the pain hurt **_so_** badly?

I didn't pay attention to the words that will come out nor the very sin I just committed. Nor did I pay attention to the bruise forming on Alaine's cheek.

I didn't care.

"Listen," I said, my voice hoarse and strained, "and listen good, Alaine Williams. I am no saint and I'm not proud of the things I've done. I've caused a lot of hurts, intentional and unintentional, but that is NO excuse to throw that back in my face. I can't even begin to describe how painful my life has been since I moved to the States. I went to the hospital because I've felt bad about the things I've done and it is NOTHING compared to what I feel on the inside. But you…you are one of the **_VERY_** best things that have **_EVER_** happened to me. And I'll be damned if I had to lose you too!

To grow a goddamn backbone and get the hell away from Andrea! You are…so beautiful and her toxic will destroy you."

Breathing heavily from my words, I marched out the Band room.

I didn't care if I was leaving Alaine angry at me or completely gobsmacked. As much as it hurt me To raise a hand to her like that, I didn't care.

I could work my butt off to save her, but she needed to save herself as well. I want my best friend back, but she also needs to come back to me.

Walking back to my locker, I grabbed my things and went into the hallway stairwell before exiting the school building.

I never skipped school before, and I mean **_NEVER._** But I couldn't stay in that god-forsaken building any longer. I just couldn't.

And I couldn't go to work in Paradise either. I'm not ready to face the Coves, especially Laguna and Karen.

No, yesterday, I burned those bridges badly. And Brendan won't forgive me or so easily letting Marana in and nearly hurting his family.

But I can't go home either. Not only because my mom would ask questions, but because I can't face her either. Despite not remembering it, I used my powers on her.

I hurt her.

After everything we've been through, I promised myself that she would never see that side of me. The harsh, broken side that I've spent months trying to conceal from her.

And I failed.

The whole point of moving to Cali was that I could start over, make a fresh start for myself. Me and my mom. Just us.

I wasn't supposed to be a mermaid again. I was supposed to have a normal life. Why can't I just have that! Why! WHY!

"Why the long face, Charlotte?"

I instantly looked up to my side to see a familiar face looking at me through the driver's seat of a van.

"Damon?"


	35. The Downspiral: Sadness Part 2

**_Previously..._ **

_She used her powers on her Mom and Riley..._

_She used her powers on her Mom..._

**_ She used her powers... _ **

**_ SHE USED HER POWERS IN FRONT OF THEM! _ **

_"Honestly, I have no idea what happened. The last thing I remember was being outside, working on Alaine's garden, and the next...I woke up with this... **pounding** in my head and I woke up on the couch. And my clothes were damp," Annette concluded._

You're a hypocrite! I spent so much time going after you, and just when I think I have you figured out, you pull a complete 360! What's the matter with you? I get it. You're a freak. You hide from those so-called 'normal people' because you're too insecure about yourself that no one is allowed to see who you are! And to stoop so low to that...PEOPLE SAY THAT I'M THE ONE WITH ISSUES BUT YOU'RE THE REAL **_FREAK_** AROUND HERE! NOT ME!"

_"Listen," I said, my voice hoarse and strained, "and listen good, Alaine Williams. I am no saint and I'm not proud of the things I've done. I've caused a lot of hurts, intentional and unintentional, but that is NO excuse to throw that back in my face. I can't even begin to describe how painful my life has been since I moved to the States. I went to the hospital because I've felt bad about the things I've done and it is NOTHING compared to what I feel on the inside. But you…you are one of the **VERY** best things that have **EVER** happened to me. And I'll be damned if I had to lose you too!_

_To grow a goddamn backbone and get the hell away from Andrea! You are…so beautiful and her toxic will destroy you."_

_"Damon?"_

**_Presently..._ **

**Charlotte's POV**

"Damon?"

Admittingly, it's been a while since I've seen the guy was last month when me and Alaine- NO! Not thinking about that!

He was sitting in a van, and by the looks of it, he had company. On the passenger side, was a dark-haired girl who I couldn't see clearly. And there were a few voices in the backseat.

"C'mon Bro! We're going to be late!" a voice said.

I watched Damon smile as he replied, "And who's fault is that?"

"Um," I started, "where are you going? Shouldn't you be in school?"

"And shouldn't you?"

"I didn't feel like being around everyone today," I answered.

"AH, I get it. Well, that's too bad. "Cause, you see, I and my friends were heading to the mall. I guess you can say we're ditching," he said.

"Valencia Mall? Where you got beat up defending my honor?" I asked with a teasing tone.

Almost immediately, there was a burst of laughter from everyone inside the vehicle, but Damon played it off. However, I could see him blushing.

"Haha, very funny," Damon said, "but, hey, you seem to be down in the dumps. _And_ judging by the fact you happen to be _outside_ of your school instead of inside, I assume your ditching too?"

Was I?

Was I upset that my emotions have been getting the best of me since that horrendous vision?

Was I undeniably relieved, and strangely disappointed, that my mother forgot, at least for now, that I used my powers on her and sent him flying into our swimming pool?

Was I extremely frustrated that Riley provoked something in me to harshly lash out at me and caused me to have an equally-harsh flashback?

Was I upset and undeniably angry that Alaine is still sticking up for her narcissistic, bitch of a mother and dared to use my past against me?

Before I even realized it, I found myself saying:

"Got room for one more?"

**_Valencia Town Mall..._ **

I shouldn't have been here at the mall.

Maybe my nerves got to me. Maybe my bad day is just getting to me. I mean, I wasn't ever the type of person to break the rules in school.

Outside of school was a different story.

But as I walked into the mall with Damon and his companions, my mind wasn't sure if I was making a good or bad decision. Maybe I was having a relapse in judgment and it was starting to dawn on me.

I looked all around me as I decided to play the Outsider and walk behind the group. I was surprised to learn Damon was a Senior, but he got held back and was going to another school in the district, hence why he drove Dominique to school but didn't exactly go to Valencia.

I tried to pay attention to smaller things, like how the mall was getting ready for Halloween, with the few exceptions of Thanksgiving items somewhere. How the crowd seems to be thinner than when I was here with Alaine. Or whether-

"Charlotte."

I looked up to see Damon looking at me with an amused look on his face.

"Yeah?" I asked.

"You okay? You seem a little shy," he stated.

"Oh, and what's new?" I asked teasingly.

"Not as much after seeing you in that AMAZING bathing suit," he taunted with a cocky grin. My eyes widened and I could feel cheeks heat up onto an unbearable shade of red.

How could I forget that!?

"That suit was embarrassing! How can you even look at me like that, you pervert!?" I exclaimed as he let out a boastful laugh. I internally groaned and had the itch to slap him like a normally did Riley for calling me "beautiful".

"Char, if you had ANY idea what most guys see when they look at you, you'd be flattered."

"Well, too bad. I don't do flattery well," I stated. He snorted.

"How about you two stop flirting and we split up?" a voice interrupted us. We look in front of us to see a mixed girl glaring at us, well, more like, glaring at me.

Rivera Ramirez. The moment I got into the van, she gave me the Dirty Eye every time Damon talked to me. It didn't even take me 3 seconds to see she liked the guy.

Well, she can have him! I wasn't putting myself through another love triangle!

"Oh, so that sounds great!" I said, "the girls go to their choice of clothing stores while the guys do...whatever guys do."

I heard Damon scoff and I rolled my eyes. Yeah, like you guys ever did anything authentic.

"Alright, say we do that, let's meet at the food court in, let's say, an hour?" Damon suggested.

I nodded in affirmation while River just shrugged her shoulders.

We discussed this with the rest of the group and it was agreed. I heard some of the guys talking about catching some girls near the water fountain and I couldn't help but shiver for some reason.

And then I realized: It sounded like Jason and his gang.

**_In Forever 21..._ **

Me, Rivera, and two other girls headed into Forever 21 and dispersed after that. Leaving me to look around, with Rivera on my tail.

I never stepped into a Forever 21. Not that I had anything against the store itself, but I always felt that some of the clothes and accessories were rather...

"You think the clothes here are slutty, don't you?"

Taking the words right out of my head, I turned to Rivera.

"Kind of. They have good clothes, but it's not my type. I'm casual and simple," I said.

But Rivera rolled her eyes and I had a good feeling this would be an interrogation.

"So, how exactly do you know Damon?" she asked as she followed me, making it look like she was just making conversation while looking at the clothes on the racks.

"I only know him through his sister. A friend invited me to join her and a group of girls on a little shopping trip and Damon happened to be chaperoning."

"And that little swimsuit comment from earlier?"

I nearly blushed. "I did a dare to put on a shark-bite swimsuit and show everyone how it looked on me. It was pretty embarrassing."

"And the part about him getting beat up?" Rivera inquired.

I tensed on that one. It was kind of an off day, worse on my part when Jason and gang held me down. True, I got rid of them using my powers, but that was a big risk I gambled due to Damon being knocked unconscious.

"We had a run-in with some jerks, who for some strange reason, are fixated on me. Damon got knocked out trying to defend me before help came," I stated, trying to make the incident sound as normal as possible.

"Ha, I bet you cried your heart out like a little wimp. How old are you, 16?" Rivera taunted.

Suddenly, I felt something go through my spine and I clenched my fist but tried not to look directly at her.

"I'm 17, Sewage Waste! By the time I graduate this year, I'll be 18 on February 21st. And stop belittling me like a little girl! If you like Damon, ask him out but don't get in my face in jealousy. It makes you look childish!" I exclaimed in her face.

I was surprised to feel that burst of anger come out. But it was like an itch. It comes when it wants to!

Rivera's eyes widened and she glared at me. "Watch yourself, girlie. You don't want an enemy out of me!"

I smirked. "Then I guess you should walk away."

The girl eyed me one more time before turning on her heels and walking away. I let out a sigh that seemed heavier than it was supposed to be.

I turned my head back to the racks full of clothes and, for some reason, started taking the clothes off without looking at them. Hell, after that explosion, it didn't help the memories that came back. And they weren't from Queensland.

After the girls and I left Forever 21, I couldn't but feel something growing between me and Rivera.

I didn't get it. She wasn't my problem. I had no reason to feel angry at her. I kept counting in my head, something Karen taught me when I told her that sometimes I felt my temper flare at random times. We met up with the guys as we promised and I couldn't help but observe Damon.

He was a cute guy, and maybe athletically fit. But I honestly didn't see what Rivera wanted. Or felt the need to be possessive over. Then, I tried to figure what exactly Damon sees in me!

The day we first met, he said I looked 'hot' in that bathing suit Alaine made me wear. Then, he came to my 'rescue' after Jason and his little band of misfits had me cornered, only to find himself knocked out unconscious. After that, I had to lie to him about it and he got in trouble anyway.

And then, after Alaine made me go to school in that outfit, he still asked me out!

I can't help but think American guys can't take "No" for an answer.

Besides, he was looking at a girl who came with so much emotional baggage that it would be as heavy as real baggage! Rivera can keep him for all I care. At least she's healthy!

_"And what if she's not."_

My eyes widened and I stopped in my tracks. No...no way...that couldn't be...

I looked around at my surrounding, looking at the various people walking around me. That voice...it had to be someone else talking to me. It had to be.

_"And if it was? Should you think you were all alone?"_

My heartbeat started to escalate into a faster pace and my breathing started to quicken. No...no!

"CHARLOTTE!"

I forced myself back to reality and saw Rivera looking at me like I was going crazy.

Maybe I was.

"Hello? Earth to Charlotte? You still there?" she asked, waving her hand in front of my face. Out of nowhere, I smacked it down.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I said, though I didn't even believe my word either.

Rivera gave me a look before she started talking again, "Well, change of plans, we're meeting the guys at the carousel."

"This mall has a carousel?"

"Yeah, you didn't know that?" Rivera asked.

"Honestly, I have been doing my shopping somewhere else," I said.

Rolling her eyes, she and the other girls walked away and I started to catch up. But I couldn't help but turn my head and look around one last time.

I'd know that voice anywhere, but there's no way that that voice... that...that voice was...

_"Don't be surprised. I always find you. One way or another, Ane'lie."_

Now, I stuck close to the girls. I knew more than ever that this wasn't paranoia anymore.

It was Marana.

**3rd POV**

Everyone met at the carousel and, much to Charlotte's surprise, Damon was the first to approach her.

"So, I see you saw something you liked. Care to give me a preview?" He asked, batting his eyes in an attempt to look in the bag.

Charlotte snorted. "Must you be such a pervert?"

"I don't know. Depends on how you see it. Now, for me, all I'm seeing is a gorgeous girl standing in front of me and she doesn't believe she has the makings to be the next America's Top Model," he stated.

"And what if she doesn't want to be a model?"Charlotte asked teasingly.

"Well then, I guess the lucky guy she ends up with can do this..."

Before Charlotte knew it, she felt Damon's lips on hers and his hands cradling her face. The mermaid wasn't sure whether to kiss back or push him away.

So, she waited until he was done. But before he could say anything, she bolts away from him and got on a horse on the carousel.

"Wait! Charlotte!" Damon exclaimed, going after her. He paid for his ride and got on the horse next to her as the carousel started, much to Charlotte's chagrin.

Charlotte elected to ignore him as she watched the world spin around her while going up and down. How could she had not known Damon liked her that way, especially after her date with Riley!?

"Charlotte! Please talk to me! Look, I'm sorry if I came onto you so strongly. It's just...I like you, know that after we met," Damon tried to say.

"'After we met'? Damon, you barely even know me and you **_KISSED ME!?_** " she stated hysterically.

"Well, what can I say? You have that effect on people," Damon said with a small smile. Charlotte sighed.

"Damon, we barely even know each other. For all I know, you could be just like Jason and tried to pull what his friends did that day! And, oh, I don't know, aren't you aware that Rivera has a HUGE crush on you!? She grilled me in the store about how I knew you!" Charlotte exclaimed.

"Oh please, I knew since we first met! But I only see her as a sister," he assured.

"You see her as a sister yet you feel something for a girl you barely know? Think about that! It doesn't even make sense!" Charlotte exclaimed.

"You know, this sounds awful like you already have a boyfriend," he snorted.

"I don't! And I'm not looking for one either!" she stated, "and you clearly must have the most idiotic taste in girls if you're looking at me!"

"First off, I'm stated this from your earlier statement: I'm NOT like those guys from before! I could treat you better than that! Secondly, I think you're beautiful, and I knew that long before I saw you in that swimsuit! And thirdly, I know what I want. Dominique always brags about you when she gets home and I can't help but like what I hear," he said, looking into her eyes.

"Damon..." Charlotte trailed. She wanted to tell him that she wasn't the girl he needs. He needed Rivera. She's clean, light, and perfect for him in completely normal life.

The last thing Charlotte wanted was to drag an innocent victim into her mess of a life.

By the time the ride ended, Charlotte hopped off but found herself face to face was a pissed-off Rivera.

**Charlotte's POV**

I said to myself that I wanted no part in a love triangle and I mean it.

But when you find out your teammate's older brother has a crush on you and _his_ crush looks like she's about to throw me under the carousel herself, then I'm royally screwed!

Rivera was red in the face and she looked about ready to slap me across the face anytime. Did she see Damon kiss me? Is she assuming I lied about my intentions?

 _Get ahold of yourself, Charlotte, you just have to explain what happened,_ I thought.

"Listen, I know what this looks like-"

"SHUT your mouth, you little slut!" Rivera exclaimed. I gulped. That's it, I'm dead.

"Don't talk to her like that!" I heard Damon defend from behind me. Oh, kill me now!

_"And where would I be?"_

I stiffened at that voice. Out of all the times to do this, I could feel a splitting headache coming on!

_"No matter what you believe, I'm always closer than you think, Ane'lie."_

"Oh, shut up!" I whispered, a little too loud.

"Excuse me!?" Rivera glared.

"No! No, that's not what I meant. I wasn't talking to you-"

"And who were you talking to then? Your imaginary friend?" Rivera snorted.

_"Oh, I'm far from imaginary, you little wrench!"_

Oh, dear God, I can already feel a headache coming closer now. Well, I can't talk to her!

_"Oh, dear sister, but you already are. Honestly, despite how boring I find land dwellers, I find this little spectacle you're in highly amusing. You always were beautiful, you know."_

I couldn't deal with this! Moving aside, I ran past Rivera and Damon and headed straight outside. I didn't pay attention to where I was running, but I just needed to get away from the crowded, tension-filled area. Eventually, I found myself seated on the water fountain outside the IMAX theatre.

It was official. I was losing my mind altogether.

_"No, you aren't. As dramatic as usual."_

Well then, if she wanted to have a telepathic talk. So be it!

 ** _"And what do you want. 'Cause ever since I moved here, you're very existence has been nothing but trouble!"_** I thought.

_"Why, dearie, can't I talk to my lovely sister without all the interruption?"_

I could hear the teasing in her voice.

**_"Marana-"_ **

_"Ah, so good to hear that name, though you're just thinking it."_

I groaned in annoyance. **_"Marana, what do you WANT from me!? I have nothing you want! If you wanted the old me, well too bad, you're a year late!"_**

_"I wouldn't be so sure. You just so happened to had not been living in my jurisdiction when all that tragedy happened."_

**_"Yeah, however, you caused the Dust Bowl Days! I mean, you weren't even near water! How did you-"_ **

_"There comes a time where I know things. And remember, that piece of land used to be fertile and got rain too often it flooded! Of course, when land-dwellers get their hands on something, they always ruin it."_

**_"So, what? Whatever piece of land still had water, you got control over that poor girl?"_ **

_"More like the girl was already a mermaid when it happened."_

I'm sure, that had I been drinking water, I would have done a spat tank. But instead, I chocked on air. Did I hear right?

_"You did. See, Little Sister, if there's one thing Laguna never counts on, is whether those girls were ever changed. In my perspective, you, Ane's lie, could NEVER escape your place under the sea no matter how hard you tried. Sometimes, you were changed by your own accord. You either found the moon pool or the moon pool found you. Other times, however, I'm just lucky enough to have you within my range and well, you know the rest. But the Fates were on my side when I found you again. Imagine, finding you a mermaid, without having you speaking to me, already as powerful as you were. At least, until those stupid girls ruined everything. Hell, if I remembered right, you nearly died before we ever met! And then you came here."_

**_"And you had the luck of getting me both ways,"_** I concluded.

That's what happened. After all this time. All the hurt and pain I'd been through. She was there. Watching. Lurking from below.

I thought I lost my tail for the better. That is losing my tail, I was to spend the rest of my days as a normal girl. I deserved that. I didn't deserve to have such a secret.

But to find that I was always a pawn. That no matter how many times I walk this earth, I'm a walking magnet for trouble...

I walking natural disaster.

And honestly...

That made me so, **_so angry!_**

 ** _"YOU'VE RUINED MY LIFE!"_** I screamed in my head. I curled up against my hands into fists and proceeded to yell at her.

**_"BECAUSE OF YOU, MY LIFE IS A COMPLETE AND USELESS MESS! You think you_ _can just choose me_ _to be apart_ _of_ _your little game!? HA!_ _No_ _wonder I always_ _died_ _after_** **_you got ahold of me in the past! Did you_ _expect me or any of those girls to live with themselves after what you made them_ _do!? They died because of you! They died under the control of some_ _sea_ _witch and...you despicable excuse_ _of a_ _mermaid! How can you_ _even live_ _with_ _yourself! Or, are you even real? I_ _mean, you did send that freakin' monster to kill me after_ _all!"_**

I was screaming in the inside, and on the outside, it looked like I was pacing back and forth while I was holding my head in my hands. To an outsider, I must have been looking like a crazy person.

Then again, how many serial-killings mermaids can exist within one's head?

I kept pacing and pacing until I heard footsteps coming towards me. Looking up, I saw Damon and Rivera walking towards me.

_"It seems your suitor still brings his luggage with him."_

**_"Shut up!"_ **

Charlotte, look, I'm sorry I put you on the spot like that-" Damon started.

"I could care less," Rivera interrupted. Damon and I glared at her. God, she was getting on my last nerves!

_"Then do something about it."_

If I was glaring, it would be highly debatable on who I was glaring at.

"Listen, Rivera, Damon, I would know what it looks like between all of this. But in my full honesty, I'm not interested in dating or looking for a boyfriend. I just want to be left alone okay," I admitted. It must have sounded harsh, but now...

Now, I feel alone.

Both of them looked at me with two different looks. Damon looked upset, liked he had been rejected. Which he was.

Rivera, however, looked like she just won the lottery.

"Well, good for you. Now that we got this whole thing situated, why don't you go back home to whatever dump you live in!" Rivera stated in the snottiest voice she had.

And suddenly, I stopped breathing.

"Rivera, now you crossed the line!" Damon exclaimed.

"Oh please, you were hitting on a girl that was too young for you! I mean, I bet you she's never even had her first kiss, like seriously!" Rivera berated.

I felt my breathing start to take shallow pacing in between each breath. I wasn't sure whether to scream or shout.

This girl is just as bad as Georgia!

Unknowingly, I curled up against my hands into fists. Unbeknownst to me, I just so happened to start heating the fountain.

_"Do it."_

"I mean, seriously! You found her through your little sister and then randomly decided to have her join along? Oh c'mon, Damon, she's a complete loser!" Rivera continued.

_"Do it."_

"A nobody!"

_"Do it."_

" ** _A_** ** _Freak!"_**

That's it!

At first, I didn't even realize I was doing it, but there's no way I'm standing to be put down like that again!

I went through it with Cleo and her jealousy.

I went through it with Rikki's antagonizing ways.

I went through it when Lewis stopped taking my side over the girl who let him go.

I went through it when I lost my tail.

I went through it when I went through the traumatizing experience in Atlanta.

I went through this while I was under a suicide watch.

And I went through this several times already since I've been in this God-forsaken state!

So there is no way in hell that I was taking this from so snot-nosed, little bitch!

Moving my hand, I caused a pillar of steaming water to form. I now didn't care if I was doing this in public. I didn't care if this was being videotaped!

But no one, NO ONE, ever puts me on the back burner. NO ONE.

And with that, I sent the pillar aiming at Rivera's chest.

"AAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!"


	36. The Downspiral: Sadness to Anger

**_Previously..._ **

_"Damon?"_

...

_"So, how exactly do you know Damon?" she asked as she followed me, making it look like she was just making conversation while looking at the clothes on the racks._

_"I only know him through his sister. A friend invited me to join her and a group of girls on a little shopping trip and Damn happened to be chaperoning."_

...

_"And what if she doesn't want to be a model?" Charlotte asked teasingly._

_"Well then, I guess the lucky guy she ends up with can do this..."_

_Before Charlotte knew it, she felt Damon's lips on hers and his hands cradling her face. The mermaid wasn't sure whether to kiss back or push him away._

...

_"Oh, dear sister, but you already are. Honestly, despite how boring I find land dwellers, I find this little spectacle you're in highly amusing. You were always beautiful, you know."_

_..._

_"Well, good for you. Now that we got this whole thing situated, why don't you go back home to whatever dump you live in!" Rivera stated in the snottiest voice she had._

_..._

_"AAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!"_

* * *

**Charlotte's POV**

Have you ever done something horrible without realizing the intensity?

Have you ever realized how easy it was to lose your temper over little things?

Have you ever realized how easy it is to burn someone's skin off?

As blue and red lights flashed across my face as the EMTs loaded Rivera into the ambulance, I learned.

It took a scream to realize what I was doing, but it was hard not to stare as a medic wrapped Rivera's arm in multiple bandages.

I remembered, though.

I remembered and know that had I not been brought back, it would have been more serious. Much, much, _**much**_ more serious.

I remembered covering my mouth as Rivera screamed in pain, falling to the ground in pain. I barely managed to look at Damon.

Unlike her, Damon just got away with just a 1st-2nd minor, small degree burn. He had been patched up already and watched as Rivera was getting loaded away.

Most of Rivera's arm was burned to a 2nd-3rd degree.

I just sat on the water fountain, staring at that ambulance and nothing else. Dread and guilt filled me to the core, so much that I wanted to cry for her. But, I couldn't.

What type of person am I if I couldn't cry?

I deliberately meant to hurt her, physically and emotionally. And add in the fact that I pretty much used my powers in public, it just broke me more.

It reminded me of when I used my powers on Nate after he pretty much judo-flipped Lewis on his back. I remembered being _**so**_ angry at him that I decided to freak him out while he was out on his boat. But the girls intervened and stopped me.

I chuckled darkly. I remembered how furious Rikki was at me for the whole thing. But I understood it now.

I pretty much risked big-time exposure doing what I did. Hell, if Nate had any brain cells that worked, he could have easily looked around and seen me!

All the more reasons why I shouldn't have been a mermaid in the first place.

"She's gonna be okay, you know."

I looked up to see Damon looking at me worriedly. I couldn't help but stare as I noticed the ice pack he was holding on his arm.

"And how do you know that?" I asked.

"Well, one of the EMTs told me she would make a full recovery. She's lucky enough that she can just get her skin grafting. Next time you see her, it will look as if she'd never been burned!" he exclaimed happily, trying to make me feel better.

It wasn't working. It just made it worse.

"What are they saying burned you guys?" I asked. I wasn't stupid. It was just pure coincidence that not that many people noticed a pillar of water from out of the fountain. But that didn't mean it doesn't scream weird.

"There was a malfunction in the water fountain, causing it the overheat and send it splashing. I guess you were lucky enough not to get hit," Damon stated.

Luck, as if such a thing even exists.

"Yeah, luck," I said quietly.

I suddenly felt my phone ringing and pulled it out to see who was calling:

**Karen Cove**

Looking at the time, I realized that I was supposed to be at work. What a joke.

I declined the number and put my phone on mute before putting it away. I didn't want to face the Coves again, including Laguna and Karen. I already made a mess of my life and the last thing I wasn't to do is bring them in.

Looking up at Damon, I asked "How come you're not riding with Rivera?"

"I would, but you look liked you just killed a person," he said.

"Go with her."

"What?" He asked in confusion.

"I said go. She's about to be sent to the hospital alone and she needs a friend right now," I stated.

"But-" he started.

I slapped my hands against the fountain. "Damn it, Damon! Your crush just got burned badly and will need surgery to fix her skin. And odds are she might have to be awake for it! Also, I do have a problem with breaking up friends. She needs you.

So please...Go."

I stared right into his eyes as I said this. They were arguing over me when I took the plunge and hurt her. It only made sense he'd be there for her.

"And how are you going to get home? I highly doubt she'll let you off the hook for ditching school," Damon advised. He had a point.

"Don't worry. I live not too far from here," I quietly stated.

I knew he probably wanted to fight me on this, but after today's events, I just want to be alone for a while.

"Alright, but I'll see you later," he said before walking away from me.

I sighed as I watched Damon load the ambulance before it drove off. This whole nightmare shouldn't have happened.

Was I that unstable? One word and I was sent off my rockers like a lunatic?

I couldn't help but get worried about hearing Marana. That, whatever it was, is the first vocal contact between us. No dreams. No visions.

But, like the coward she was, there's no way she'd talk after that exploit.

I looked around at my surroundings. I wonder now how easy it was to ignore things beyond Science itself. Was ignorance truthfully bliss? Or was it like Lewis and I, knowing but accepting?

* * *

_**At the Watsford Residence...** _

The walk home was tiring and exhausting in their definitions. I couldn't ask any of Damon's friends for a ride, but in a way, I was glad to be alone.

With great power comes great responsibility, huh.

What a load of bullcrap!

I want to understand how ALL this had to happen to me of all people!? Haven't I suffered enough! Haven't I lost enough!?

I was cruel to the girls, so I lost my tail.

After I lost my tail, I regretted ever meeting the girls and trying to join them.

After my regrets, I moved to the other side of the world.

After I moved to the States, I was bullied mercilessly until I entered a depression.

After I entered my depression, I landed myself in the hospital.

After I got out of the hospital, I started packing up to move across the country during summer vacation.

And after I moved across the country, my life went to hell.

More and more, I'm finding my status a curse more than ever. I hate lying. I hate making a fool of myself. I hate my life. I hate that I can't keep friends. I hate that I have no control over my life whatsoever. I hate how easily I dig myself into holes of trouble. I hate my temper.

Oh Dear God, I just _**HATE**_ everything about me!

By the time I got home, I swear, I just wanted to punch something.

"CHARLOTTE ELIZABETH WATSFORD! Where have you been!? Do you have ANY idea how worried I was? The school said you weren't in your classes. Ms. Anelies called, saying you missed choir and the Coves have been calling, asking where you are, saying you weren't answering your phone!" my mother yelled as I walked through the door.

Scratch that, I may need to drug myself to sleep after this.

"Yeah. Well, I didn't feel like going to either of them today. So I ditched," I stated. I didn't see the point of lying.

It would be one of the first moments I ever truly told the truth.

Mom couldn't help but look at me as if I suddenly grew a tail. Ha! A pun already made.

"Excuse me? You _**ditched**_?" she exclaimed, emphasizing on 'ditched'.

As I may have stated before, I wasn't the type of child to cause problems. But I now officially don't care!

"Yes mom, I ditched. As in, skipped school and left the building without being released. Everything in the whole sense. And you know what? It was boring. All I did was shop a little and hang out at the local mall. Nothing like how it's portrayed on TV," I sassed.

I heard mom groan and give me her strictest glare.

"That is no excuse to miss work, and school is no exception either! What were you thinking? Anyone could have come and snatched you up! Or killed! Or anything!" Mom exclaimed.

"Well, guess what: I'm still here! I still come home to you! And you know what? I don't need you to treat me like a child! I'm nearly 18 years! And after that, I'm off to college living my own like a normal person! You can't treat me like this!" I yelled.

Turning my head away, I marched right past her and started to head up the stairs hastily.

"Charlotte Watsford! Get back here this instant!" she yelled.

"Leave me alone!" I yelled back, my back to her.

"Dear God or whoever has the higher power, this attitude is the very same one you used when you slapped me in the hospital!" She exclaimed.

I stopped in my tracks. My eyes widened.

What?

Did I hear right? Do I need hearing aids? No, I'm pretty sure I didn't hear that right!

"What?" I asked, all anger leaving my system.

"You slapped me, Charlotte."

I turned to my mother. "Y-you can't be serious! I would never slap you! You're my MOTHER!"

"Well, you did. It was the night in the hospital. After the doctor left, I told you how out-of-my-mind worried about you I was. Then, I mentioned that the whole situation was just like Georgia and the next thing I know, you slapped me," my mom concluded.

I suddenly felt cold on the inside. At that very description of the event, I felt a tingle go up and down my spine as, for the first time, I could recall a memory I didn't know I had.

_**Flashback...** _

_SLAP!_

_She almost didn't realize that she slapped her mom until she saw Annette step back, hold her right cheek that was beginning to form a red handprint._

_But, at the moment, she could care less. Annette looked at her daughter shockingly. She had never known that Charlotte would react so violently._

_She pointed her finger at her mother accusingly. ''Don't you EVER bring that up! This is NOTHING like what happened in Georgia! I didn't try to kill myself then and I certainly wasn't trying to kill myself now! I might remember something from, what? 2 or 3 days ago, but if you even THINK that I'm some innocent depressed little girl, oh so help me I'll-''_

_**Flashback ends...** _

I came back, utterly, and completely gobsmacked right in the face.

I can't believe I did that.

I can't believe I did that to my mom.

Looking up at her, I asked "Why didn't you say anything?"

"Well, what was I supposed to say? You were unconscious for nearly 3 DAYS, Charlotte. What did you expect me to do? And then, you acted like you didn't even do it in the first and even asked me why my cheek was red," mom stated, "what did you expect me to do?"

That was the understatement of the century. Better yet, the harshest dilemma of my life.

Suddenly, I just ran up the stairs to my bedroom and locked the door. I didn't pay attention to my mother calling me nor Thomas's pawing to be let in. I threw my satchel to the floor and sat on my bed, rocking myself back and forth like a crazy person almost.

After everything that's happened over two days, I needed to be alone.

I needed peace and quietness.

I needed to focus and find my center again.

I needed-

_"What you need is me."_

I tensed and almost instantly, I headed towards my stereo and turned it on and up to max. Cascada's " ** _Evacuate the Dancefloor_** " started to play almost immediately. I didn't particularly care what song was playing, but I just needed the noise to drown everything around me out.

"It's all in my head. It's all in my head. It's all in my head. It's all in my head..." I repeated to myself over and over again.

_"But I've been told I'm hard to get rid of."_

Panicking, I opened the door to my bathroom and immediately turned the knob, beginning to fill it with water.

The combination of music blaring and water running should be enough.

_"No. Now, I think you're mocking my intelligence. I'm here, Ane'lie, always listening. Always caring."_

I got up and stood in front of the mirror. No one could hear me scream anyways.

"What do you want from me? I don't have anything to give you. I have cried, suffered, been beaten beyond my wits, gave my all and it seems no matter what I do, it's never enough!" I exclaimed at my reflection.

_"I want you, Little Sister! I want you by my side again. That's all I wanted. Really."_

"Oh, so I'm guessing that possessing me and making me create terrible natural disasters, costing not only my life but thousands of others, is just your part-time hobby!" I scoffed.

_"Considering what they've done to this world and our oceans, our home, you can't blame me. I can't name the number of our kind lost because of them!"_

"Oh, tell it to all the eco-terrorists for all I care. I'm sure they'd enjoy your help!"

" _Ane'lie, you have to understand. We could be powerful together. No mermaid, full or part-time, as you dubbed them, could stand in our way!"_

"Is that what you offered the other girls? Power? Well, look at what happened! They died! All of them, most probably by the storms they created. Their families don't know what happened to them, nor their friends and anyone else that cared about them. You stripped them away before their time. How do you live with yourself?" I asked.

There was silence for a while. No snotty comeback or egotistical retorts. I walked back over to the bathtub and stopped the water just in time before it overflowed.

_"Did you think it was easy? Asking my only family, cursed for centuries as a landgirl, to break her ties like that?"_

"What do you mean?" I asked hesitantly. Marana's voice now sounded like she wanted to cry.

_"When I found you, I swear, you looked just the same as you did in your very first life. The one I loved so much. That spirit inside of you, that curiosity about the world. All that talent you displayed in your powers. I swore I fell in love with you again. I wanted to cherish you as I once did before._

_But then those, ugh, I can't even call them mermaids after what they did to you! They hurt you, broke your heart, and then continued to live their pitiful lives as if they didn't destroy a truly kind, and innocent girl. And then, along with that, they took your tail. The one thing that tied you to your beloved Gracie and me. It should have been them. They forgot their humanity, in which they are born with legs first! They had no right on Mako Island and it was only by convenience they found the moon pool._

_But you're special. You knew, long before any of it happened, that Mako was special. You dreamed about it, drew it, painted it! You were pulled to that island for a reason. And those girls took away your birthright, not once, but TWICE! The very necklace you should have received was given to someone who would never know pain. No, Ane'lie, everything you've ever felt until now was true pain._

_A land girl can easily heal her heart. But a mermaid will guard hers until they're willing to make it count._

_But it seems as though you wanting to earn their forgiveness is what you want more than revenge. So, I make you an offer:_

_So what if I took away those nightmares and awful memories? You'd never have to live with such guilt and shame. It will be like you always wanted: A bad dream. Just let me in and I could erase them. All you'd ever had to do was trust me."_

I never felt stiff in my life. Those nightmares. Those horrible memories. Gone in a blink. I could live as a new person again. As if I was touched by some higher being and cleansed of all my wrongdoings.

Hurting the girls.

Hurting Lewis.

Hurting Cleo.

Hurting my mom.

Every person that's ever been wronged by me gone, perhaps living as happily as I ever could and I can join them.

I could wake up for once.

But would it be worth it? Could I trust the mermaid responsible for so much? Could I even give in to the idea she could make me feel loved and safe as the old me before magic was introduced into my life?

Could I turn my back on the people who've accepted me? For me?

I tried to open my mouth, to at least voice my own opinion in this, but nothing came out.

But then, she spoke one last time.

_"I'll know when you accepted my offer. For now, I leave you a little gift in your pocket."_

After that, I was sure she was gone. Feeling into one of my pockets, I felt a piece of paper and pulled it out.

It looked old and folded, but I felt a tingly feeling as I unfolded it and looked to see what it was.

But when I did, I dropped it as if it was poisonous and it landed on the floor.

I destroyed that drawing. Just like all the others, I made sure it never revealed itself to the human eyes, much more, my own.

I couldn't help but shake in fear as I eyed the drawing I made once upon a time ago.

Taking off my clothes, I stepped into the tub and sank down. I didn't bother staring at my tail this time.

My eyes were now drawn to the cursed drawing I _**swore**_ I threw into the ocean in what felt so long ago. And I remembered exactly where it came from.

_**Flashbacks...** _

_In Queensland, a year ago..._

_Empty._

_That was all I felt as I walked into my house._

_My days since losing my tail has been, in a lack of better words, emotionless._

_My day would starts, out like this: I wake up, use the bathroom, come out clean, put on clothes, look nice, go to school, learn, come home, eat and go to bed._

_I did it all without feeling. Since that dreadful night, I try my best not to expect things. I try to live each day I can since losing my tail._

_I try not to take a shower and expect to fall face-flat in the bathtub due to a tail forming where my legs should be._

_I try not to go to school and interact with Lewis and the girls._

_I try my best to not linger at the beach and stare at the ocean._

_I try my best not to draw or paint anything mermaid-related._

_I try my best to be as normal as I was before._

_I kept thinking about the things I've done as I entered my bedroom. The place was normally cluttered with artwork, painting utensils, and clothes all over the place. But constantly since that night, my room has been unusually spotless... and barren._

_I took down all my pictures and artwork and stashed them away in a semi-large trunk that was sitting in the corner. I haven't opened it in weeks. I could tell I was causing my mom to worry. She often asks me if I'm okay all the time and I could feel her staring at me during dinner._

_I don't want her to worry about me constantly, but I can't talk to her either._

_I couldn't tell her how I hated looking at pictures of myself. I hated who I was in those pictures._

_I couldn't tell her about my drawings. They were just too personal to look at, especially in regards to the Secret._

_So, I keep them all locked up. I eyed the trunk constantly the more time I spent in my room and by the end of the day, I almost opened it._

_Almost._

_Just as I would be about to open it, suddenly, I can't and leave it alone._

_But maybe..._

_Maybe I could try again. Just for today, at least._

_My day at school had been going uneventfully as it could be until I crossed paths with the girls. Well, more like I saw them coming and hid in the supply closet. Aside from talking to Lewis late, I never made contact with any of the girls- together or apart- and it wasn't because I was afraid of them._

_It's because, no matter if I could apologize, I had no right to be in that presence._

_As they walked past the closet, they stopped and I ended up hearing their conversation._

_"Guys, have either of you two spoken to Charlotte lately?" I heard Emma asked._

_I was surprised. I thought she hated me after the storage room incident._

_"Why would we want anything to do with her?! She tried to take our tails, remember!?" I heard Rikki exclaim. I'm not surprised by her outburst._

_"I know, but...it's just...In Algebra, I just...looked at her, you know? Despite everything that's happened, she still liked being a mermaid. But her eyes... Her eyes were lifeless almost. It was as if there was no emotion in them. They were dull."_

_I honestly had no idea Emma had noticed my robot-like state._

_"Yeah, well, she brought that on herself! I'd she hadn't been so crazy and power-hungry in the first place, she would have taken it better! Besides, did she think we'd react well if we lost our tails!?" Rikki stated angrily._

_"Honestly, I have been thinking about it, and maybe we would've. We did before Louise pulled that stunt on us. I told Lewis to keep an eye on her though. I just..." Emma trailed._

_"You feel sorry for her," I heard Cleo say. It was the first time she'd spoken._

_The whole time I listened in, I kept my hand over my already-shut mouth. I honestly knew they had nothing nice to say about me, but still. I didn't expect these words from Emma._

_"... That, and I feel guilty. I mean, karma does exist and I'm not a mean person. So, when I helped take her tail away, it just felt so_ **wrong.** _Like_ we _did_ _something horrible and it's just going to result in something bad," Emma revealed._

_There was a moment of silence. Between me and my short breaths and the pause of conversation, I couldn't help but wish to die a little._

_Then, Cleo spoke._

_"Emma, if there's one thing I love about you, it's that you're honest with the things that are eating at you. But this was all Charlotte's fault from the very beginning. She chose to date Lewis. She chose to find out our secret. She chose to become a mermaid and wedge herself into our group. Everything that's happened, only happened because she chose to go through with it. You have no reason at all to be concerned about HER. Because, as she called me the day I lost my locket and hurt me, she's pathetic," Cleo concluded._

**Pathetic.**

_Cleo had every right to say that about me and I knew it. I was pathetic enough to stoop that low in the first place, so I'm pathetic enough to think they'll be listening to my apology._

_After they left, I hurriedly left the closet and resumed my day as best as I could. But now, I couldn't._

_That trunk in the corner of my room was daring me to open it._

_Dropping my satchel, I slowly walked over to the wooden trunk. It had a small, metal lock on it, easy to open. I could feel my hands twitching, anxious or nervous, or both. I fingered the small locks of the trunk as I sat down in front of it. I could feel the queasiness in my stomach and my heartbeats uneasy too._

_I could do this. I can do this. All I had to do was flip the lock and open it. That's all._

_That's all._

_I took a deep breath, and as I got my nerves together, with shaking hands..._

_I flip the lock and lifted the top of the trunk._

_Looking into the contents of the trunk, my heart swelled with so much happiness and an unbelievable amount of sadness and heartache._

_I delicately reached in and took out a precious drawing I once lost sleep was drawing of me and Cleo in her room, doing homework._

_I fingered it delicately before sitting it down beside me and reaching for another._

_This drawing was of me and Emma at the JuiceNet Cafe. I was sitting at the counter and Emma, in her uniform, was smiling at me._

_The next was with Rikki. Surprisingly, we were both messing with Nate, resulting in his drink exploding and dripping all over his face._

_Another was of me and lewis sitting on the edge of the pier, holding hands._

_I spent so much time, drawings and paintings, canvases and depictions and so much more. Over time I met the girls, drawings, and predictions on what my life with the girls would be like._

_As mermaids._

_I spent so much time depicting what life would be like to have friends, to be accepted. No matter the scenarios, land, or sea, it was just us against the world._

_..._

**AND I SCREWED IT ALL UP!**

_RIP!_

_RRRRIIIPP!_

_POP!_

_POP!_

_BURST!_

_BURST!_

_SCRATCH!_

_SCRATCH!_

_One by one, piece by piece, I tore them up. I tore them all up._

_I tore up the portraits of me and the girls._

_I destroyed my drawings of me and lewis as a couple. Kisses and hugs, torn to shreds._

_I busted holes into the canvases, taking pieces off the hours of work spent depicting my time underwater._

_I tore up and ripped apart the photos of any of us together, especially the group photo of the fateful volleyball game._

_I didn't care about the hours of effort destroyed in a matter of seconds. I didn't care about the only proof I was something special. I didn't care about the only proof of memories, that at one point, I was accepted. That I belonged somewhere. I didn't care that tears were running down my face like a waterfall. I just wanted the heartache to end._

_I just didn't care._

_By the time I got to the last drawing, I let out a whimper._

_This last drawing looked more like a photo, far different from the rest. It took place at the moon pool._

_It was me and the girls as mermaids. We were sitting at the edge of the pool, smiling ahead, as if there was a camera there catching the photo. Emma was on the left, her head sitting on Cleo's right shoulder. Rikki was on my right, smiling with her head in her hands. I and Cleo...we were in the middle, our hands intertwined with each other's, smiling._

_I spent 3 days working on this pictures, observing the girls and trying to get their smiles right._

_I stared at it for what must have been hours before I just shook my head and balled it up, crumbling it in the process._

_Looking around, I realized that for the first time in a while, my floor was cluttered. Only, this time, in the destroyed artwork. Tiny pieces of paper scattered the floor. The canvases had holes busted in the middle of them, some torn out, making it hard to tell what it used to be._

_Just like me._

_Pathetic..._

_Pathetic..._

_Pathetic..._

_Pathetic..._

_Pathetic..._

_Pathetic..._

_Pathetic..._

**PATHETIC!**

_I brawled out in tears, crying out all my pain and sorrow until there was nothing left._

_**Flashback ends...** _

The tears in my eyes flowed through my seemingly stoic face.

That memory tore through me the most. Those paintings and drawings were ties that broke me and almost shattered my mind itself.

I wanted them to go away. I wanted the pain to go away. I wanted to wake up and everything I'd ever been through to be a bad dream.

I just wanted it all to end.

Just end it.

"Alright. Take away my nightmares," I whispered before closing my eyes and submerging underwater.

* * *

**_October 7th, 2009, Wednesday, Morning..._ **

_**Valencia High...** _

**3rd POV**

Life was hectic in the building as the students were getting the decorations up for Halloween. All around, orange and black streamers hung along the walls. Paper pumpkin heads were being stapled along with the doors of different teachers. Even the adults were adding their special little Claire by adding little monsters into their classrooms. But the biggest event was taking place most of all:

The Big Halloween Dance and Showcase.

The Student Council had every able-bodied student they had working on the the the decorations in the gym and handing out flyers to anyone around them.

And one of those unlucky students who had that job was Riley Byrnes.

The guy didn't have a care in the world as he aimlessly gave out, or rather, thrown out, flyers to various students in the hallway.

Well, maybe he had one care in the world.

Charlotte.

He admitted that he had every right to get angry with her, but when he called her a freak, he'd been meaning to talk to her.

Maybe he sparked something in those words she hasn't told him before. That sliding down the locker thing with a terrified expression clearly said something wrong.

But it didn't seem likely. He hasn't seen her at all and she practically disappeared yesterday.

He sighed as he continued to throw out flyers until he started to hear a bunch of random whispering and catcalls.

_"D-A-M-N! Who is that foxy thing over there?"_

_"She seems like such a slut!"_

_"I don't know. It's a clean look. Sexy actually."_

_"Go talk to her, man!"_

_"Dude! She is soooo out of your league!"_

Now, he still thought Charlotte was beautiful (even if the said girl would slap him for it), but to catch this many student attention, he had to look up.

He dropped the flyers right where he was standing.

Coming his was a young girl-no, _woman_ , who was the optimum of beauty as the students parted and formed the path. Making a pathway, the woman was dress in high-heeled sandals, giving her height that gave her legs a new meaning "Legs that go on and on". Leading up, she was wearing a black, sleeveless casual dress with gold embroidery at the top and a black belt in the middle of the dress. Over the dress, she wore a simple, black blazer. Around her neck, there was a black, lace choker, adding more into her alluring features. On her eyes, she wore dark eyeliner and red lipstick on what could be the most kissable lips he'd ever seen, brought out by her straight and slightly-curled brown hair.

But it wasn't what the woman looked like that got him. It was who it was. And he'd know those chocolate-brown eyes anywhere.

"Charlotte!?"


	37. The Downspiral: Anger to Fury Part 1

**_Previously..._ **

_I remembered covering my mouth as Rivera screamed in pain, falling to the ground in pain. I barely managed to look at Damon._

_Unlike her, Damon just got away with just a 1st-2nd minor, small degree burn. He had been patched up already and watched as Rivera was getting loaded away._

_Most of Rivera's arm was burned to a 2nd-3rd degree._

_..._

_I stopped in my tracks. Did I hear right? Do I need hearing aids? No, I'm pretty sure I didn't hear that right!_

_I turned to my mother. "Y-you can't be serious! I would never slap you! You're my MOTHER!"_

_..._

_ "Did you think it was easy? Asking my only family, cursed for centuries as a landgirl, to break her ties like that?" _

_..._

_ "...So what if I took away those nightmares and awful memories? You'd never have to live with such guilt and shame. It will be like you always wanted: A bad dream. Just let me in and I could erase them. All you'd ever had to do was trust me." _

_..._

"Alright. Take away my nightmares," I whispered before closing my eyes and submerging underwater.

_..._

_"Charlotte!?"_

* * *

**_October 19th, 2009, Monday…_ **

**_Valencia High…._ **

**3rd POV**

It has been said that most people go to extremes to change their lives.

But when you watch someone change for the worst version of the person you care about, you often wondered what changed.

And as Riley watched from the back of his Math class, he can't help but stare at the person seated in the front row.

No, not a person.

Charlotte Watsford.

To him, she'd been an enigma since the moment they met. He'd admit he was kind of an ass at first, but he did care about the girl overall.

So, when it came to watching the woman in her place, dressed in a black sweater-poncho with an equally long, black skirt accompanying it. She had a choker around her neck again, but the one thing Riley hated about the new look was the hair.

Charlotte had lost her curls and now had iron-flat, straight hair with a bang! Her curls were his favorite part about her!

After everything that's happened, he was surprised what she did the first day of her new "change".

**_Flashback…_ **

_"Charlotte!?"_

_Said girl- erm, woman- looked at him and he gulped._

_Though he had long admitted that she was beautiful, her usually warm, brown eyes now had a cold exterior to them._

_Charlotte smiled as she walked up to him. He couldn't help but stare at her hips as they were sashaying their way towards him and he was doing his best not to let Junior give out a reaction._

_But what he wasn't prepared for was when she wrapped her arms around him and kissed him. He barely responded in time and when he did kiss back, she pulled away._

_"Hey, Hot Stuff," she said in an un-Charlotte way._

_'Wow, Hot Stuff? Couldn't come up with anything original?" Riley tried to tease, but it came out as a grimace. But it looked like she didn't notice._

_"Well, you are hot. And that erection you have just tells it better," she smirked._

_Riley's eyes widened as he looked down and indeed see an erection forming. He felt his face heat up all over. She noticed._

_"So…." He tried to say._

_"So….what?" she teased with a smirk._

_"So, what's with the new look? Not that it doesn't look great on you, because it does and I couldn't help but notice and…" Riley started before he groaned. He was starting to sound like he was speaking to his first crush._

_Charlotte chuckled. "Yeah, well, I decided to change my look for once. And, thankfully, someone likes it!"_

_Riley was caught off guard by Charlotte's forwardness, but he still had something to do._

_"Hey, listen…I'm sorry about what I said the other day. It was completely out of line and you didn't deserve it," he said in relief. The look she had on his face still bothered him._

_"Don't worry. People had said worse to me. Guys have said the worst. But, just as you owned up to your words, I own up to mine. So, I apologize for what I said too. I wasn't myself that day and honestly, I have yet to know the full story behind your mother's death. And maybe you'll share it with me sometime," Charlotte concluded before walking away from him._

_Riley did his very best to not look at her butt as she walked away from him. But just because she changed her look doesn't mean he didn't notice something off about her._

_And he wasn't sure if he liked it or not._

**_Flashback ends…_ **

It's been two weeks since her change and Riley couldn't believe that this was the same girl who kissed him on their first date.

For starters, her attitude had skyrocketed from a petty temper to downright ugliness. Nobody wanted to say anything unless they wanted the Wrath of God put in them. She walked the halls as if she owned them and everyone wanted her, hated her, or feared her.

And it didn't help that she played the Innocence card whenever she got into trouble. For example last week, Charlotte pretty much made a chemical explosion in her Chemistry class during a lab and got away scot-free. Meanwhile, her lab partner got all the blame for it. Another time, she 'accidentally' pulled the fire alarm in school, causing everyone to evacuate the building. But then, there was no fire, nor was it a practice drill either. And this was because it happened TWICE!

But no one could link it to her.

And then, there was her attitude. While she could play Innocent, that didn't mean that her personality was of that. She had the most twisted attitude to Man. She expected to be treated like a lady (open door for her, pull out her chair, etc), but when you got her mad, the phrase "When Hell Freezes Over" couldn't be even truer in her case.

To Hell itself, she even had an attitude that put Willow and Tessa in their place!

**_Flashback..._ **

_Charlotte was walking into the cafeteria when she was cornered by Willow, Tessa, and what appeared to be a reluctant Alaine._

_Willow and Tessa glared daggers at Charlotte, but the mermaid looked unimpressed. She looked quite bored at the three._

_"Please do me the favor and get out of my way," Charlotte stated bluntly._

_"I'm sorry, but who do you think you are, walking around like you own this school or something!? And it's California, darling. Wearing black isn't going to help that bad disease you call your skin," Willow taunted._

_"Yeah, and seriously, where did you come from? A failed Victoria Secrets audition?" Tessa added._

_Alaine didn't say anything but took in her ex-friend's was wearing a black, sleeveless top with a leather jacket over it and some black tights to go with some black boots. And her hair was in a messy up-do._

_"Don't you sophomores have anything better to do than bother me? I would like my lunch now," Charlotte said, not phased by the insults._

_"You're not going anywhere, Missy. Not until you give us some answers," Willow said, all in her face and a finger on her chest._

_"Why would I talk to a bunch of immature, little girls? I'm sorry, but I have a life and you aren't involved with it," Charlotte stated, staring straight into Willow's eyes._

_This caused said the girl to back away as if she got smacked in the face._

_"Listen, if you want advice on how to bring people's spirits down, talk to your parents. I'm sure they'd be delighted to know what you do for your lunch. In fact, why don't you go talk to Andrea Williams? I'm sure that with all those bruises and broken bones she gives her daughter, she'd be happy to give you a crash course on Bullying 101," Charlotte said sarcastically._

_Alaine eyes widened and flinched at how bluntly Charlotte talked about her like that. Even Willow and Tessa felt the underlining ferocity in her words._

_"Now, if you three children will excuse me, I'm going to get something to eat. Okay?" Charlotte concluded with a babyish voice before walking right past them in a sophisticated manner._

_Leaving three, disbelieving girls behind her._

**_Flashback ends..._ **

After this came many more incidents including cruelly rejecting guys who asked her out and even disrespecting her teammates at softball practice.

It didn't matter who faced her wrath. It just mattered that the Charlotte Watsford people knew was wiped from the face of the planet. And in her place was someone else.

* * *

**"Charlotte's" POV**

Ever since I struck that deal, I've been rather...at peace.

If that's the way you'd put not hearing voices in your head, volunteering at least.

I'd been meaning to see Damon for the past couple of weeks, but he wouldn't answer his cell. I had the slightest feeling that his dear sister has something to do with that.

But this wasn't any of her business anyway.

I hadn't had any of _those_ dreams for a while, since the deal, and I couldn't have felt any better!

As I walked down the halls, I couldn't help but smirk in appreciation and utter delight as I listened in on the whispers about me. The boys adored me, wanting me as their eye-candy, and the girls envied me, jealous of my superior looks and the very idea that I had a body they'd **_kill_** for. But then, some were either feared by me, only submissive in the end, and those were angry with me.

That group...is the first to go when I'm done here.

I suddenly felt a stirring in my head and decided to take a look.

I smirked again.

Perhaps everything is going smoother than I had hoped to begin with and planned for once. _She_ seems to be calmer and occupied, and, dare I say it, **_happy_** , perhaps more than I had originally imagined. Probably for the first time in ages too.

Suddenly, I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket and took it out. Looking at it, it appeared to be a text from an Unknown Number. It read:

**_Meet me in the Band room. NOW._ **

Now, this was a new development. Out of curiosity, I called the number to see who it was or get the gist of a potential prank call.

" **We're sorry. The number you have reached is not in service at this time. Please check the number or try your call again** ," the voice message said.

I rolled my eyes and hung up. Well, whoever texted me better have a really good excuse for wasting my time!

I started walking towards the band room before I stopped for a minute. I hesitated before going into the back of my head and checking on _her_. _She_ could still sense my presence, but that didn't mean I couldn't help but make sure she was alright from time to time.

And not too surprising, _she's_ swimming above a coral reef.

A very familiar one, that is.

* * *

**_In the Band room..._ **

Almost cautiously, I casually walked into the band room, only to look around and find it empty.

What the-

_SLAM!_

I jumped in surprise, only to grow in a low tone as the one and only, Alaine Williams slammed the door and locked it. I almost snorted. Like that was going to hold me.

"Well, well, well. Isn't it the Banshee Punching Bag," I growled. In return, she scowled at me and folded her arms across her chest.

"We need to talk," Alaine demanded.

"We don't. What _I_ need is for you is to unlock that door and let me out!" I exclaimed.

"No. Listen Char, lately, you've been acting like a chronic bitch. Almost like you're the Queen of England!" Alaine shouted.

"Oh, excuse me! Have we met? I'm sorry, but I swore you're not talking about me being a bitch," I stalked towards her, "You humiliated me in front of everyone after your mother took you back. I tried EVERYTHING to get you to talk to me, and all you've ever done was shoving me to the ground."

I found myself curling my hands up into a fist and quickly released them. I'm not helping another repulsive girl land herself in the hospital.

"Alright, so I have my issues, but you've changed. Sure, you weren't always a cupcake, but you were - and still are - a great person to be around!" she exclaimed.

I snorted. "Me? A cupcake? Darling, you're going to have to put that _extensive_ vocabulary to use because I say this: I. Don't. Care. About. You."

"Oh really?" Alaine questioned.

I groaned in annoyance. "Yes."

"Then why did you come here when I texted you?" she asked.

"If I had known it was you, I would have kept on walking to the other direction," I stated coldly," Besides, last time we were in this room, I slapped you without mercy, for all the right reasons! Do you honestly think I wouldn't remember your words? _'You think the whole world revolves around you when it doesn't, but play the victim card when nobody cares! Just like nobody cares about you! And for what? What could you have possibly done during you're entire 17 years of existing to deserve anyone, you self-centered, lonely bi-_ "

"Alright!" Alaine yelled, with her hands up in admittance, "I admit, I went too far when I said that to you and I'm sorry!"

 _Excuse me, come again?_ I thought incredulously.

"Excuse me, come again?" I asked out loud, " ** _You're_** ** _sorry_**? Your mother's been punching your brain cells out as well, but 'Sorry' doesn't cut it! You knew I would have done anything for you, but as I said before, you needed to save yourself first!"

"And you think that's easy!? Charlotte, not everyone can start a clean slate! My mother is my mother, and, unfortunately, she has all legal claims on me! I tried running away and it didn't work! She will never let me go! So when she tells me to walk away from something, I have to walk!" she exclaimed.

And right now, I was fighting the urge to slap her again.

"That's bullshit, and you know it! You say she owns you, but I just think you're weak and a coward! Do you remember the night Andrea called you? You were so happy to be with me and my mom, but then she calls and you're all depressed. _I'm_ the one who's always picking up your leftover pieces! I trusted you with secrets about my former life and you throw them back in my face! For Pete's sake, Alaine, grow a backbone, and report her!" I yelled, getting ready to slap her upside the head for more than three reasons already.

"I can't walk away from her, Charlotte! She's all I have!" she tried to explain.

"But you had me," I stated simply, almost with no emotion.

"I know," she sighed, "but you said you'd always stick around, and have my back. You walked away from me."

" **NO!** **_YOU_** **_WALKED AWAY FROM ME_**!" Charlotte exclaimed icily, "Not the other way around. You chose to end our friendship and walked away. And now, I'm returning the favor."

Walking right past her, she hadn't noticed that I used my powers to unlock the door. So as I opened it, to her surprise, I said one last thing:

"You have a lot of issues to sort out, Alaine Williams, and I don't want one part of it. You want something to happened, you need to do it yourself. If you want to change your attitude, change it.

But just to make this clear: We are no longer friends. I gave you my trust and you betrayed it. We can't go back from this. Not now. NOT EVER!"

And with that, I walked out the door.

I couldn't help but check in again in my head. No doubt Alaine would trigger something, but after all, I've done for _her_ , I'm not losing all of my progress due to someone like Alaine.

* * *

**_At Charlotte's house..._ **

After my rather tiring day, all I wanted to do was lay down and take a nap.

But instead, I come home to a mangy mutt.

_WOOF!_

_WOOF! WOOF!_

_WOOF! WOOF! WOOF!_

_WOOF!_

_WOOF! WOOF! WOOF! WOOF!_

_WOOF! WOOF!_

_WOOF! WOOF! WOOF!_

_WOOF! WOOF! WOOF! WOOF! WOOF!_

_WO-_

_"_ SHUT UP!" I screeched. The dog stopped barking.

Well, that shut him up. Though he was still giving me that menacing glare.

I heard the sliding door to the backyard open and in came Annette, looking as filthy as ever for working on that wretched garden.

"What the hell is going on in here?!" she exclaimed, seeing the little stare-off between me and the mutt.

I just gave her a stoic look and took in her appearance. She may have learned to wear jeans and a T-shirt when working, but it still, made her look like the force of Mother nature threw up on her.

"Nothing, mother...Thomas was just annoying me," I said nonchalantly, "Are you _still_ working on that stupid garden?"

I didn't jump when Annette slammed her hand against the wall.

"That _stupid_ garden is for Alaine! So, yes, I'm still working on it!" she exclaimed, "What happened between the two of you? I understand that maybe her mother might have done some-"

I snorted before she could even finish that sentence.

"What she did was take our friendship and step on it like it was an insect at the bottom of her shoe!" I yelled, silencing her, "I told her everything. **_EVERYTHING!_** And she took it and threw it back in my face. She is **_NOTHING_** she made herself out to be, Mother. She's cruel, backstabbing, annoying, hurtful, rude, and callous! I should have never trusted her to begin with, and now, she means nothing to me.

So you're only wasting your time building that ridiculous garden. It's a dead dream from the very start. Hell, I bet she was always like this from the start! She does take after her mother, doesn't she!?"

By the time I was done with my rant, I hadn't realized I was pacing in front of Annette nor notice her shocked expression until I turned to her.

Her glossy eyes were widened in shock, her right hand covering her gaping mouth, stopping her from speaking.

Huh, I guess the truth does set you free.

I got tired of looking at her before I started heading up to my room when she grabbed me by the arms, roughly.

"Who are you?" she asked.

"Excuse me?"

"Who are you and what have you done with my daughter?" she asked sternly. I jerked her hand off me.

"Mother, I'm Charlotte, your one you spent nearly 3 days pushing out f your vagina. The one last thing your late husband left you. And the only family you have left. Nothing's changed. I've just learned the hard way to accept that the world is a cruel place to be," I stated.

But Annette shook her head. Denial, I would know.

"No, you're not my daughter. The Charlotte I raised wouldn't act so cruel towards her own best friend. HELL! She wouldn't even go so far as to say she deserved to be abused by some witch! What has gotten into you? It's like since the day I told you about the hospital incident, you walked out of your bedroom a completely different girl!" she explained, a rough tone in her voice.

"And what if I just accepted it as it is!? Huh? What if I accepted that Alaine is never coming back, that she might have never been the Alaine we knew! I let her in, Mother, and she...and she has hurt me so bad that I can't even **_stand_** being in the same room with her! But, you know what?

I suck it up! Because this is my last year in high school, and I will NOT let someone with the likes of her bring me down!" I concluded.

I had so many more insults I wanted to spill, half to just say them in spite. The other half to see the looks on Annette's face.

"I'm sorry you don't see it my way, Mother, but I suggest you forget Alaine Williams. You shouldn't even mention her name. She means nothing to this house because that's what she is: Nothing."

And with that, I marched my way up to my bedroom, but not before I caught a glimpse of the dog.

By now, his canine teeth were showing and looked like he wanted to attack me.

Ha! Good luck with that. I never believed dogs and their belief to catch superstition, but I have no doubt he knows it.

I didn't spare Annette a second glance and by the time I entered my room, I practically fell onto the bed and stared at the ceiling.

Let's do a recap, shall we?

So far, I got into it nearly 3 times today.

Three times that could have been sending out warning bells.

I guess I should be fortunate enough that I hadn't felt any stirrings with Annette. Perhaps I had _her_ fully under control.

Or perhaps I'm pushing my luck for once.

 _She_ needed to be calm and peaceful, which helps me tremendously. I could lay out all my plans and ideas without interruption and _she_ won't have any reason to bug me. The stirrings were enough to set me on edge, and her- kicking and screaming- is enough for this deal to break.

Speaking of stirrings, I closed my eyes and "looked" for _her._ And, all too unsurprisingly, _she_ was enjoying everything in her surroundings.

I couldn't help but smile before coming back to reality. Seems like everything will go great this fall-

_**FALL!** _

I rushed to a calendar and sighed in relief as magical night would be a week are more before the clock strikes 12.

All things come with a price. All good things must go at some point.

And Alaine had to go.

And with that, I got up and started checking to see how much money I have in my bank account. Being a working girl did have its perks.

Wow, I didn't even know that much was saved over waiting tables and taking orders.

I smirked. Now I had to get ready for the Halloween performance. There's no way I'm not dressing up and going on stage without making a last impression.

Grabbing a sketchbook, erasers, and color pencils, I began to design my costume.

It will be a performance that will be to die for.


	38. The Downspiral: Anger to Fury Part 2

_**At Paradise Cove Cafe...** _

**3rd POV**

Laguna was losing it, as Brendan would say.

It started with the little things, such as checking her watch to see what time it is, 'visiting' the employees more than usual to do their job, or approaching the tables to see if the costumers were satisfied.

To a normal person, this would seem like a polite way to run a restaurant. But for the Cove family, this was troubling.

You see, Laguna is the type of person who doesn't have to ask or oversee her costumers to rate her business.

She _**KNOWS**_ she's the best.

But then, her 'visits' became more like pestering, annoying, some would say. Or she would repeatedly visit the same tables over and over again, apologizing and says that she thought they were different costumers. And then she started staring at her watch for long times 2-3 minutes to 5-10 minutes.

Soon enough, there was irritation among the employees to do their job, especially the cooks when in the middle of, well, cooking, costumers getting creeped out that the owners were constantly at their tables, and now she was fidgeting over the fact due to her watched being removed, as if she was waiting for something.

To put it simply: Laguna was losing it.

Laguna, herself, would say that " _A mermaid does not **lose** it_."

But she was. Karen could see it, Jonathan could see it, Brendan could see it, the cooks could see it, the waiters/waitresses could see it, the costumers could see it...

Damn near, the WHOLE beach of Paradise Cove could see it!

But to find the source of this, you would have to look two weeks back to see what happened.

**_Flashback..._ **

_ October 7th, 2009, Wednesday, Late Afternoon... _

_The Paradise Cove Cafe was busier than usual, not that booming business didn't help. The only one to not benefit from the extra tips and what more was Karen, who was on a late Maternity Leave, much to Jonathan's unseen joy._

_Jonathan, being the co-manager of the cafe, was in his office, doing paperwork and denying wishes to hold any Halloween party at the cafe._

_He wasn't cruel, but after the last time someone broke in and trashed the place, he wasn't taking any chances._

_Brendan was grounded and doing the dishes/supply run. Karen made sure that she got her point across about the incident with the war game and thought working at the back of the restaurant would serve to teach him some humility._

_Granted he was angry at first, at Charlotte and then his mom. But after taking his time to slowly rethink things, Brendan realized he had been unfair and was hoping to apologize the next time he saw her._

_Laguna was walking around the outdoor deck of the cafe, watching the costumers enjoy their meals during the sunny day as well as hearing the joy and laughter on the beach. The breeze was warm and crisp and the smell of sea-salt and food was in the air._

_But then, she suddenly felt a breeze of dark aura from behind her. Frowning, she turned around to see Charlotte standing behind her._

_But her look made Laguna do an overview, twice._

_She was dressed in all black, a dress with a blazer over it, and a choker around her neck._

_Had Laguna not known any better, she'd say Charlotte went Goth. (Meaning she does pay attention to what her grandson says!)_

_"Well, you're early today," Laguna stated, "New wardrobe change for Halloween?"_

_Charlotte shrugged. "Maybe. I just wanted to try a new look. You like?"_

_"In this weather?" Laguna said, "Absolutely not. Go change into your uniform and start working. The faster you start your shift, the faster we can start your lessons."_

_And that's when Charlotte started laughing._

_Hard._

_She wrapped her arms around her waist and continued to laugh boisterously, disturbing the peace around the cafe and caused many customers to turn in their seats and look at her. Annoyed, Laguna grabbed the teen and rushed past everyone before throwing her into the office and slamming the door._

_"What is the meaning of this?!" Laguna exclaimed, "have you lost your mind?"_

_Charlotte just kept laughing for a few minutes until she regained composure. But her mouth kept twitching a bit though._

_"I'm quite sane, I assure you. However, I was laughing at the irony of the real reason I came to you today. It's about my job," Charlotte stated before pulling an envelope._

_Laguna eyed the teenage mermaid warily before taking the letter and opening it._ _However, after reading the context, Laguna harshly threw the letter to the floor and looked at Charlotte as if she had two heads and destroyed the beach!_

_"What is this? A resignation letter!?" Laguna screeched. What did this girl think she was playing?_

_But Charlotte just shrugged. As if she the glaring daggers her boss/teacher was throwing at her didn't seem to bother her at all._

_Or perhaps she spent so much time with her that she's gone immune with it._

_"Laguna, you and your family have been a tremendous help over the last_ _few months, but I think it's time we parted paths," Charlotte stated, "besides, I'm beginning to think your staff feels you're playing favorites."_

_Charlotte tried to sound sincere, but her words were starting to sound too rehearsed_

_"Look, if this is about what happened at training, that wasn't was Marana! And don't get me started on how you pretty much didn't come to work the other day. You had everyone worried sick!"_

_Charlotte raised her hands in self-defense. "And I apologize for that. Some rather...sensitive things came up and I couldn't help. But in terms, yes. I am resigning from my job and as your student."_

_Sensitive? Laguna wasn't buying that._

_"So...so what? You just walk out of here and not expect Marana to take control of you again!?" Laguna exclaimed._

_"I know for a fact that she won't ever try to do that again. And I'm no coward. I'm not running as I did before," Charlotte said, taking one of Laguna's hands into hers._

_Laguna shivered as she felt the chill from Charlotte's unnaturally cold hands before pulling away._

_"Charlotte, this isn't a matter of running! It's about keeping you safe and away from Marana! You're my responsibility. I can't let you get hurt!" Laguna reasoned._

_"Like how you let my past lives die? Or how you failed to save those lost in their destruction!" Charlotte exclaimed._

_There was silence. It was so silent that you could hear a pin drop._

_"You don't have the right to use that against me! I did everything I could to save those girls!"_

_"You did and you tried. But then, I started asking myself: Why is it the girls were always mermaids by the time they created their designated storm or natural disaster?" Charlotte asked, walking in front of Laguna as if to lecture her, "but then, I theorized, that at some point, each girl had to have been at the moon pool at some point in their lives. Maybe in a mountain range somewhere, on the cliff of an island, or maybe on a beach! But somehow, you never could catch them in time!"_

_By then, the tension in the room had now grown thick enough anyone could start to see it. The two separate generations of mermaids stared at each other, not knowing what to say_

_But now, Charlotte had to leave._

_"Thank you, Laguna Cove. It's been a pleasure learning from you."_

_And with that, she walked out the doorway and out of the cafe._

_Leaving a hurt and angry mermaid standing in her place._

**_Flashback ends..._ **

And since then, Laguna's been on edge and everyone's been walking on eggshells around her. It didn't help when Karen called Charlotte's mother and dropped the phone when she heard how she too had been affected by Charlotte's new behavior.

Karen and Jonathan were shocked to hear about the exchange, while Brendan looked like he was licking a wound. Jonathan surprised everyone by saying that there's no possible way that the Charlotte Laguna talked to was the real deal. But that sounded more like he was in denial about the teenager that might've just proved him wrong.

But Laguna knew that something dark was lurking, she **_always_ **knew. And she hopped to whatever higher power there is that she was wrong.

* * *

**_3 days later..._ **

It happens every day when a new customer walks in. It means more profit and those customers starting to become regulars and spreading the word out more about the cafe.

However...

It's not when two people, no, two _teenagers_ enter the cafe, ready to go at it like a battle royale.

And when they were fighting, _**LOUDLY**_ , that said so much more when the customers started to leave.

And when the customers started leaving, that meant you had an agitated Jonathan and a majorly pissed-off Laguna on your hands.

Laguna herself was having a rough day as it is when she heard and got the complaint that two teenagers were going at it in the middle of the restaurant, she nearly blew her paperwork around the office and had to stop herself from going into her Dolphin tongue.

Marching out, she was followed by Jonathan and saw the two culprits yelling their hearts out while causing more customers to get annoyed and leave their tables.

The first teen, to their surprise, was Riley Byrnes. They were completely aware of his obvious affections for Charlotte, but they had never seen him so mad before.

The next was a beautiful black girl in a yellow, floral dress, one they had never seen on Paradise before.

"You know, you have some nerve showing your face here!" Riley exclaimed.

"It's a free country, Bucko, and I came here to see Charlotte!" the girl yelled back.

"Why? Isn't it obvious she wants nothing to do with you!"

"Ohhh, so smart, especially coming from the guy who can't keep his eyes above the equator and thinks with his dick!"

"You know, for a small girl, you might as well turn around before I shove your-"

"RILEY!" Laguna and Jonathan yelled simultaneously.

This caught the two teens' attention and immediately shut them up.

"You two! My office! NOW!" Laguna exclaimed, gritting her teeth. She was beginning to run out of patients (as if she had any already) and began to wonder why she's being surrounded by teenagers all of the sudden.

Seeing steam about to burst from her ears, the two quickly were escorted to her office by Jonathan, who knew this wasn't going to be good.

An angry Laguna was more terrifying than what Charlotte thought she'd seen.

Once they were all in there, Laguna practically made them stand in front of her and gave her most deluxe " _I'm-going-to-kill-you_ " look.

"Riley, I'm already agitated and you driving my customers away is not helping!" she exclaimed before turning to the black girl, "and who are you?"

The girl jumped at the tone sent towards her and recomposed herself. "My name is Alaine Williams. I'm a friend of Charlotte's."

Riley snorted. "Yeah right!"

Alaine snapped her head towards him. "Do you really wanna go there!?"

"I may not hit girls, but I do know whatever sob story you're about to cook up is all an act!" Riley argued.

"Well, what do you want me to say?" Alaine asked, "Because I can say ' _Sorry_ ' and nothing is going to change!"

"How about you start with admitting that this is **_ALL YOUR FAULT_**!" Riley exclaimed, pointing at her, "She would still be the same girl if you hadn't gone and stabbed her in the back!"

"Fine then! You want to hear it: I screwed up! There! You happy now!? I screwed over the only damn person who gave an actual damn about me and now she's gone!" Alaine screamed.

"No, I'm not happy. I'm _thankful_ that you admitted your faults and wrongdoings towards her, but that's not enough! She's been different ever since you broke her heart and now, she's pretty much has a temper and personality that could put Disney's sea-witch, Ursula, to shame!" Riley exclaimed.

Laguna flinched at the comparison. It was one thing to compare real mermaids to Walt Disney's version, but still. Not a lot of mermaids that moved onto land didn't exactly like the idea of multicolored tails. The omens surrounding it are bad enough.

But then again, looking at Charlotte's case, who was she to judge?

Just as the teens were about to go at it again, Jonathan chose to intervene, thankfully.

"Alaine, huh? I know you," he stated.

But Riley and Alaine jumped at his voice while Laguna gave him a look.

"Oh, you do?" Alaine asked skeptically.

Jonathan nodded. "Sure I do. You started as Charlotte's tormentor, somehow became her friend, and then went back to being her tormentor."

Laguna didn't miss Riley's small victory smile. Somehow, he and Jonathan have their little relationship worked up and it's a lot better than his relationship with Brendan.

Alaine sighed. "I guess I should have seen that coming. Look, hurting her was the last thing I wanted to do-"

"Understatement of the Century," Riley retorted.

"Shut up!" Alaine snapped before continuing, "Anyways, I know I'm not anyone's biggest fan right now. But something happened today and I need to talk to Charlotte."

Laguna sighed. This girl didn't know.

"Alaine, Charlotte quit her job a few weeks ago. I guess that she's probably at home," Laguna explained.

"What? No way! Char loves this place! She wouldn't quit even if you paid her!" Alaine defended.

"She gave me her resignation before she left. I'm sorry dear, but your trip was unnecessary," Laguna said.

She hated the defeated look in the young girl's eyes, but it was simply the truth.

However, Riley was surprised. Well, not surprised, but shocked either.

"Did she quit on the 7th?" he asked.

Laguna looked at him. "Yes, she did. How did you-"

"Well, thanks to this idiot here-"

"HEY!" Alaine exclaimed.

"-Charlotte went through this dramatic makeover around this time. It's the last time I saw her at Paradise too. Anyways, she not only started to switch to black but also became this Mean Girl that put _this_ mean girl," Riley gestured to Alaine, "and her posse to shame. She stopped caring about others' feelings, started causing huge issues around school, which no one can prove, and well, became quite the Bitch."

It was official: These teens had officially caught their attention.

For Jonathan, he's now meeting the young lady who sent Charlotte's life out of spin.

And for Laguna, she knows that there was so much more going on that Charlotte wasn't telling that day. A Bitch? No, She had ALL of Charlotte's memories and she knew damn well that the teenage mermaid wouldn't dare revert to her old ways!

"Are you two sure this is Charlotte Watsford you're talking about?" Jonathan asked.

They both nodded.

"If you're talking about a beautiful, reddish-brown haired Australian, which I found out courtesy of Brendan himself, strong-willed yet nursing a broken heart due to an idiot not staying in his lane, amazing singer, great kisser yet is quite guarded about her past, then yes! We are talking about Charlotte Watsford," Riley concluded.

Both Alaine and Laguna both rolled their eyes. Accurate for a guy yet Riley never knew his boundaries. But overall, accurate.

And Laguna will be talking to Brendan about indulging in personal information later.

She turned to Jonathan. "Take Riley outside and hear what he has to say. I need to speak to Miss Williams."

Both Riley and Jonathan gave her a surprised look, and Jonathan had grabbed Riley and forcefully dragged him out of the office before he could say anything.

And with that, it was just the human and the age-old mermaid in the room. Alaine had made some shotty comments about her former friend's boss, but judging from the look she was getting, the moment she and Charlotte were good terms, she would take _everything_ she ever said back and apologize.

"So, I'm guessing you and Char are close?" she asked.

For the first time in a while, Laguna laughed. Wasn't that an understatement.

"I guess you can say that. I'm not playing favorites, but Charlotte has found herself an interesting addition to the lives in my family," Laguna admitted, "and are you?"

Alaine shrugged. "As of now, I honestly don't know. For what Riley and Jonathan said, I admit that I wasn't so nice to her for a while, and I regret that deeply. Truly, I do. It wasn't until I was dropped from my _so-called_ friends that we became true friends. She doesn't know I know this, but I can tell when she's always holding back something when she tells me about her past. And honestly, I can't blame her because...I've been doing the same thing. However, the truth came out and she's had my back ever since.

I honestly don't blame her if she did hates me for what I did."

Laguna looked over the girl. Outwardly, she looked fine. But it was always the inside where you could see the true emotions.

"So why did you turn away from her? If anything, I know Charlotte would have never given up so easily," Laguna assured.

"I know!" Alaine exclaimed, "but there's only so much a person can take before being pushed over the edge. And..."

"And what?" Laguna asked.

It took a while for Alaine to get her voice out. She's heard actions speak better than words, but it seemed that acceptance was a harder pill to swallow.

So, she swallowed hard.

"I told her that if she couldn't get 3 girls to like her, then, why should I," Alaine admitted.

Laguna was taken back. And coming from the person who had the person of topic's memories, she knew what Alaine said was a low blow.

_A low blow._

And also, she now knew what Charlotte was so bothered that one lesson and the anger behind their little spat.

Perhaps, Karen was right about needing to know Charlotte first as a person instead of a reincarnation.

"How could you have said that?" she asked.

"I know this sounds hard to believe, but I didn't take it well behind closed doors either!" Alaine stated, tearing up, "I promised her that I wouldn't judge or use her past against her and I did just that! And now, I feel like I created a monster in the process."

By now, she started full-on crying and Laguna handed her a tissue. She could relate to breaking a promise, especially one to a dear friend. But you either had to own up to it or move on.

And with Charlotte, moving on was NOT an option!

With that in mind, she startled Alaine by grasping her shoulders and looked her straight in the eye.

"Listen," Laguna started, "I can't speak for you that you made a mistake. That is self-evident. But what I can say is that you have the choice to fix your relationship. Beg on your knees, yell until you're blue in the face, even come to her house every day if you had to! If you want to fix your friendship with Charlotte, you need to take action and make it happen. So many young people don't take that chance and regret it for the rest of their lives. You have time to fix this and make it count! Do you understand me? Make her understand that you _**truly**_ want this friendship!"

Alaine was caught off guard by Laguna's words and nodded. The mermaid sighed in relief.

Finally, she's made progress.

"Now, is there anything else you need to let out?" Laguna asked.

Alaine was silent for a moment, in thought, before speaking.

"Actually...There's one more thing. I don't know how, but I just get the feeling I should tell you this," Alaine said hesitantly.

Now, Alaine was nervous. What she saw could have been a trick of the light, but with those sprinklers going off like that, and Charlotte's sudden glee in the water, she just had to let it out.

Laguna nodded in encouragement.

"Well, it started during school and Charlotte... Charlotte was more, _**dark**. _Darker than she ever was these past few weeks. I know I'm responsible for that, but still. Anyways, this group of girls I left had locked her in the locker room and left the water on, completely flooding it.

I swear, I tried to talk them out of it, but the deed was done. Soon enough, water was everywhere, steam was catching in and those girl...they just watched. Then, I heard a scream. I remembered that there was a busted pipe and it was FILLED with hot water...and I watched as she got burned," Alaine admitted, tears streaming from her eyes.

Laguna's gut wrenched. Though she wasn't fond of what had been bothering Charlotte before the incident, for a moment, perhaps now Alaine can relate to one of Charlotte's many inner struggles.

But she was also panicking. Charlotte's secret was, in no doubt, revealed. She only hoped she made herself invisible to save herself.

"Alaine..." she started.

"NO!" Alaine exclaimed, wiping the tears from her eyes, "I need to get this out. I screamed for her, trying to at least open the door until it busted open, soaking everyone! And the thing is: The water was ice cold. And then Charlotte walked out."

What now?

"She...walked out?" Laguna asked. That couldn't possibly be right.

Alaine nodded. "Yeah, her clothes were drenched, her makeup was running and her hair looked like it had been through a washer. She just glared at us and suddenly, the sprinklers went off. After that all the girls ran off, some horrified by her. But then, she looked at me as if she could see through my soul and walked away."

Before Laguna realized what she was doing, she hugged Alaine and comforted her. As much as it equally disturbed her that Charlotte managed to get wet without revealing her tail, she left quite a scare on her former friend and it just won't do.

Alaine sobbed into her arms and wept for the event. It almost seemed like such a bad nightmare out of a movie scene. A horribly, scary movie scene.

But Alaine wiped her tears and pulled away. She had to get this last piece out before it was too late.

"And, there's something else I think you should know," Alaine said hesitantly

Laguna made her look her in the eyes before nodding to continue.

"When she looked at me. I noticed something, something about her eyes. It...I swear, I think I'm going crazy! But her eyes...It was just for a moment, but," Alaine struggled before spitting out, "She had the eyes of an abyss!"

And suddenly, Laguna's heart froze and all the life was sucked out of her.

"What?" she barely whispered.

, Barely swallowing, she nodded and had Jonathan come and escort her out as she walked back into her office and locked the door.

And then, leaning against the door, Laguna laughed.

She laughed into hysterics.

She laughed until tears came falling from her eyes.

She laughed until she felt like Charlotte the day she quit her job and stopped coming to her lessons.

She laughed until her voice broke and began full-blown sobbing.

_"...a shade of blue as deep as the ocean's abyss."_

The last time she saw a pair of eyes with that matching description, it was at the very beginning.

Back where her vow begins.

Back where she spent her childhood in the pod with her best friends.

Back when joy and laughter was all she'd known and as well as the innocence of it.

Back when she used to help cause so much trouble, she was often scolded.

Back when her best friend was the pride and joy of the pod.

Back when the said friend would rely on her sister for everything.

But also...

It was back to the time where she watched a mermaid become so horrible, so _terrifying,_ that those eyes were the last she said before her best friend's demise.

Before _Ane'lie's_ demise...

The only one capable of doing this whole mess from the beginning...

And the answer to all her recent problems all together...

_Marana._


	39. The Deep Discovery

_**Previously...** _

_Laguna was losing it, as Brendan would say._

_..._

_Laguna was walking around the outdoor deck of the cafe, watching the costumers enjoy their meals during the sunny day as well as hearing the joy and laughter on the beach. The breeze was warm and crisp and the smell of sea-salt and food was in the air._

_But then, she suddenly felt a breeze of dark aura from behind her. Frowning, she turned around to see Charlotte standing behind her._

_But her look made Laguna do an overview, twice._

_She was dressed in all black, a dress with a blazer over it, and a choker around her neck._

_..._

_Laguna eyed the teenage mermaid worryingly before taking the letter and opening it._ _However, after reading the context, Laguna harshly threw the letter to the floor and looked at Charlotte as if she had two heads and destroyed the beach!_

_"What is this? A resignation letter!?" Laguna screeched. What did this girl think she was playing?_

_But Charlotte just shrugged. As if she the glaring daggers her boss/teacher was throwing at her didn't seem to bother her at all._

_Or perhaps she spent so much time with her that she's gone immune with it._

_"Laguna, you and your family have been a tremendous help over the last_ _few months, but I think it's time we parted paths," Charlotte stated, "besides, I'm beginning to think your staff feels you're playing favorites."_

_..._

_"You did and you tried. But then, I started asking myself: Why is it the girls were always mermaids by the time they created their designated storm or natural disaster?" Charlotte asked, walking in front of Laguna as if to lecture her, "but then, I theorized, that at some point, each girl had to have been at the moon pool at some point in their lives. Maybe in a mountain range somewhere, on the cliff of an island, or maybe on a beach! But somehow, you never could catch them in time!"_

_By then, the tension in the room had now grown thick enough anyone could start to see it. The two separate generations of mermaids stared at each other, not knowing what to say_

_But now, Charlotte had to leave._

_"Thank you, Laguna Cove. It's been a pleasure learning from you."_

_And with that, she walked out the doorway and out of the cafe._

_..._

_It's not when two people, no, two teenagers enter the cafe, ready to go at it like a battle royale._

_And when they were fighting, **LOUDLY** , that said so much more when the customers started to leave._

_And when the customers started leaving, that meant you had an agitated Jonathan and a majorly pissed-off Laguna on your hands._

_..._

_"How about you start with admitting that this is_ **ALL YOUR FAULT**! _" Riley exclaimed, pointing at her, "She would still be the same girl if you hadn't gone and stabbed her in the back!"_

_"Fine then! You want to hear it: I screwed up! There! You happy now!? I screwed over the only damn person who gave an actual damn about me and now she's gone!" Alaine screamed._

_"No, I'm not happy. I'm thankful that you admitted your faults and wrongdoings towards her, but that's not enough! She's been different ever since you broke her heart and now, she's pretty much has a temper and personality that could put Disney's sea-witch, Ursula, to shame!" Riley exclaimed._

...

_"Listen," Laguna started, "I can't speak for you that you made a mistake. That is self-evident. But what I can say is that you have the choice to fix your relationship. Beg on your knees, yell until you're blue in the face, even come to her house every day if you had to! If you want to fix your friendship with Charlotte, you need to take action and make it happen. So many young people don't take that chance and regret it for the rest of their lives. You have time to fix this and make it count! Do you understand me? Make her understand that you_ **truly** _want this friendship!"_

...

_"Well, it started during school and Charlotte... Charlotte was more,_ **dark** _. Darker than she ever was these past few weeks. I know I'm responsible for that, but still. Anyways, this group of girls I left had locked her in the locker room and left the water on, completely flooding it._

_I swear, I tried to talk them out of it, but the deed was done. Soon enough, water was everywhere, steam was catching in and those girl...they just watched. Then, I heard a scream. I remembered that there was a busted pipe and it was FILLED with hot water...and I watched as she got burned," Alaine admitted, tears streaming from her eyes._

_..._

_"She...walked out?" Laguna asked. That couldn't possibly be right._

_Alaine nodded. "Yeah, her clothes were drenched, her makeup was running and her hair looked like it had been through a washer. She just glared at us and suddenly, the sprinklers went off. After that all the girls ran off, some horrified by her. But then, she looked at me as if she could see through my soul and walked away."_

_Before Laguna realized what she was doing, she hugged Alaine and comforted her. As much as it equally disturbed her that Charlotte managed to get wet without revealing her tail, she left quite a scare on her former friend and it just won't do._

_..._

_"I know Charlotte, or at least I know as much as she was willing to tell me. But I sure as Hell know that Charlotte has Chocolate-Brown eyes, not a shade of blue as deep as the ocean's abyss."_

...

**Marana**.

* * *

_**Later that day...** _

_**At the Cove's Residence...** _

**3rd POV**

"So, let me get this straight: Marana is controlling Charlotte!?" Karen exclaimed.

Everything had changed when Laguna had gotten home that evening. Her daughter noticed how pale and sick looking her mother was and was caught completely off -guard by how red her eyes were. Before she could even question her, Laguna barked orders to go to the sitting room for a "Family Meeting".

And when Laguna discusses mermaid issues outside of the grotto, it doesn't mean anything good.

Like telling your family that the reincarnated mermaid they've been caring has been completely taken over by a psycho mermaid!

Laguna shook her head. "No, it's more, **_bigger_** , than I ever thought possible. Controlling her would be implying that Marana is whispering in her ear, telling her what to do and she's going along with it! HA! That was the same thing she pulled on Ane'lie the first time. But this?

No, she's not _controlling_ Charlotte. She **_is_** Charlotte! Kind of like those movies and TV shows Brendan likes to watch where the humans are taken over by some kind of dark spirit. A demonic possession, if you will. They have no idea they were possessed until either they die or the spirit leaves them. Other times, it's like watching through a TV screen. The humans see the actions their body is committing, but they can't do anything about it. And from what I've figured out, Marana has taken Charlotte's body as a host."

And the fact that Charlotte might be screaming in her head somewhere was enough to send chills down everyone's spine.

It suddenly felt as if the room dropped a few degrees below normal room temperature.

"Mother, this...This...I don't even know what to say." Karen stammered. The shock was taking a while to wear off, but then Jonathan asked her question for her.

"I think what my dear wife is trying to say is: How the Hell is this even possible?" Jonathan asked.

Laguna looked at her family, as clueless as she's ever been willing to admit out loud. Out of all of Ane'lie's reincarnations, Charlotte...

She was the most damaged one of them all.

To say she's been through a lot would have been putting it mildly. The memories Charlotte experienced and Laguna had seen held would be enough to make even the most emotionless man cry.

"I wish I knew. Marana has sent a lot of evil things towards the reincarnations, but this? I could have never conceived the idea of actual Bodily Possession being a possibility," Laguna explained, "I noticed the day Charlotte quit that she was wearing dark clothes, despite the warm, sunny day, and her hands were unnaturally cold. I didn't piece it together until Alaine Williams, Charlotte's friend, told me of a crude incident that happened at her school?"

"What happened?" Brendan asked.

Laguna hesitated for a moment. Thinking back to it, the whole incident, as Charlotte been herself, would have been a dreaded moment for any mermaid living on land.

"Some girls locked her in a room completely flooding in water and she got burned by a busted pipe filled with hot water. And, according to her, the door burst open and what _should_ have been hot water turned cold and doused the girls. Then, she _walked out_. Not lying on the ground in her tail. Simply walked out in _wet clothes_. It wasn't until Miss Williams mentioned the change of Charlotte's eye color, **_Marana's eyes_** , that I realized Marana has taken over her body physically," Laguna concluded.

Karen looked at her mother as if she suddenly decided she hated humans and wanted to annihilate them all.

She shook her head. "No, this is Marana's doing. No one, and I mean, **_NO ONE_** , part-time nor full-time mermaid, has ever gotten full-control over changing between forms. I've heard of spells powerful enough to cause a mermaid to lose their tail or keep them from gaining one, which is easily fixed with a visit to the moon pool. But full control? Not possible."

"Well, clearly the Sea Witch found a way. I mean, can't you just conjure up something and kick her out?" Brendan asked.

"Please, if that were simple, I would have found a way, gone to Charlotte's help, and did the...what is it called?" Laguna asked.

"Exorcism," he stated.

Laguna nodded. "Yes, I would have performed that immediately the moment she opened the front door! But no mermaid has ever gotten close to even doing what she's done. And from a dear friend of mine, " _Even the Dark Arts are troubled with control_." I can't see Marana because Charlotte has my ability plus I can't even pinpoint where in the Seven Seas that Marana is hiding! From what I'm seeing, Marana is a Wolf in Sheep's Skin!"

"No!" Brendan jumped up, surprising everyone, " I won't take that! I-I-I need to apologize to her! If I hadn't said those things to her, then maybe-"

But his grandmother shut him down, knowing where his train of thought was going. Laguna grasped both his shoulders and made him look directly at her.

"Brendan, there couldn't have been anything you could have done to prevent this. We all knew that Marana could have waited a hundred years to wait for the right moment to get to her," Laguna said seriously.

"But-" Brendan started.

"No buts, Brendan! The girl already has enough skeletons in the closet that-"

And suddenly, it struck her like lightning. And it emitted a light strong enough to see the answers right in front of her.

"Mother, are you okay?" Karen asked. Seeing her mother space out wasn't a first, but she hadn't done that since she met Charlotte.

Coming out of her trance, she looks at their faces, surprising them with her somber facade.

"She's hurting," Laguna concluded.

Karen, Jonathan, and Brendan looked at Laguna, confused. But the answer couldn't have been any simpler.

Hell! She had the goddamn girl's memories for Pete's sake!

"Come again?" Jonathan asked. He must have missed something.

"Think of what Riley and Miss Williams have told us. Everything Charlotte has refused to fight against, Marana is acting on her desires. One Charlotte would rather keep in a small, dark place in her head than act on. You see, it wasn't until I realized that Charlotte has been wearing a mask in front of us the entire time. Granted, we knew it was there. But behind it was a girl so sad and miserable, she couldn't be allowed to be seen. So Charlotte put up a front. One that could be held in day by day," Laguna explained, "Her experience in Queensland, Australia left her heartbroken in more ways than one can describe. More ways that I didn't understand until now. She lost her self-confidence, her ability to trust others with her feelings, her ability to fall in love, and her sense of security. In Australia, she was rejected multiple times, unwanted, humiliated, and just plain-right denounced from the world her grandmother left behind. But she, as if she wasn't broken enough, in Atlanta, Georgia, that's where she was really, and nearly, lost to the world."

Laguna proceeded, for the first time, in telling exactly what Charlotte went through in Atlanta and all the events that led to her near-suicidal actions.

"Back in Atlanta, Charlotte allowed herself to get bullied and harassed cruelly because she felt it was a fit punishment from above for all her misdeeds in Australia," she said before turning to Jonathan, "Jon, you of all people should know that even humans are capable of worst acts than any supernatural we know. What happened there was the shattering of her soul."

Jonathan just nodded in understanding. He knew where she was getting at.

"So, in the process, it just got so violent enough that she started sporting bruises and she hid them from her mother. And Karen, you know how brutal girls in high school are. After that, in the unrequited romance field...she was left to walk home in the middle of the night, covered in mud. That's a story I'd happily erase from her mind if I had the choice. But overall, Charlotte's practically suffering from Depression. She tried to kill herself unknowingly after coming home from school and had her mother not got there in time..." Laguna trailed. Charlotte was as close to insanity as anyone could get and her humanity was wearing thin from the moment she learned Magic was real. And it was hard to remember the incident and think about, much more speak out aloud.

But to say the remaining Coves were disgusted would be an understatement.

Karen started crying, trying to figure out how someone as young as Charlotte could go through so much hurt and pain. Her mother was right: High School girls were brutal. Back in her day, fitting in was hard enough, but add in the fact that her tail came in, she practically decided to be invisible. The only attention she ever got was from Brendan's father and after that ended catastrophically, it took a hell of a long time to let Jonathan in afterward.

Jonathan held a stoic expression as usual, but his eyes darkened with fury and sadness over the girl he judged with ease. Perhaps they were more alike than he thought. He grew up in a poor family and hated those who threw their wealth in his face or showed him pity. And it was by not showing emotion that he worked his butt off to support himself and his family that he even met Karen Cove. She was a broken soul and would never take back his time with her.

But being apathetic didn't help someone like Charlotte, who was trying to recover from traumatic experiences, but now the damage was done.

Brendan was distraught the most. Finding out Charlotte's body was taken over by an evil mermaid was bad enough. But after the entire incident over the war games, his mom set him straight and told him what Charlotte saw. To see a darker version of yourself succeeding in your biggest regret was harsh enough. Since then, he was filled with guilt and had been meaning to apologize to her. But then she quit and now this? Like this Alaine girl, learning he had inadvertently pushed Charlotte into Marana's clutches made his stomach drop.

Jonathan looked up at his mother in law. "So how do we bring her back?"

Heads snapped towards him. Jonathan wanted to help Charlotte?

"Excuse me? You hated her for months and now you want to save her?!" Brendan asked in shock. Had the man lost his marbles or was he possessed by Marana too?

Then Jonathan turned to him, and for the first time, offering a genuine smile. Almost like watching a Bulldog display its canines for the first time.

His step-son was officially terrified.

"I never hated her. I just didn't trust her. And judging from the last time we saw her, perhaps it's time we all make amends that went unspoken," he stated, still smiling. And the world was not safe with an evil mermaid walking among them.

Freaked out at this new side of his step-father, Brendan quickly hid behind his 9-month, pregnant mother, who couldn't help but giggle at their antics, despite the somber mood and tension in the room. Karen knew that this side of her husband existed, but it hurt her slightly for this particular occasion could bring it out.

Laguna could only give a half-smile.

Judging by the last time she spoke with " _Charlotte_ ", she doubted Marana was going to let her body go without a fight. Especially now that she was figured out. And she knew Marana would know that she was too.

But maybe it's time someone fought for Charlotte for once. No one dared realize that evil was made with a purpose just as much as redemption. But the road was going to be a rocky start.

But leave it to her grandson to point out the real, underlining question in all of this.

"Alright, so **_Operation: Save Charlotte_ **is a Go, but here's the thing," Brendan pointed out, "if Marana has taken over Charlotte's body, where's the _real_ Charlotte?"

* * *

_**In an unknown mindscape...** _

**? POV**

_Freedom._

_That was the first thing that popped into my mind as I was swimming underwater, visiting the coral reef with a small fishnet in my hand. The sea was warm and the blazing sun lit up the cerulean underwater world as if it had room to see right through it all._

_I took in the ocean air and sighed in happiness as the warm air went through me. It was a nice, sunny day on the surface and I planned to relax to the beach afterward._

_Hm, I wonder if everyone would mind meeting up there, or would they prefer heading to the cafe_ _later?_

_Shrugging, I kept searching around until I found myself in a vast area of seashells and sea urchins and more living off of them. Who knows, maybe they won't mind sharing and letting me have a few._

_Spotting a few starfish and hesitated before grabbing a small, older one and placing it in my net, I swam and started collecting a few more shells when I suddenly felt a chill go down my spine. I quickly spun around but saw nothing._

_Shaking my head, I flicked my tail and started speed-swimming away towards the beach. I hated that feeling. It was like I was being watched and last I checked, that feeling should be reserved for when I'm close to a hungry shark._

_I couldn't help but smirk as I started loop-de-loops and spirals through the water before diving into a trench at my fastest and coming back up. I was owed a rematch later today and I was_ **NOT** _going to come out a sore loser like last week!_

_Eventually, I was on my way up towards the surface when I came across a few dolphins and noticed a familiar golden-orange-copper tail amongst them. Curious, I swam towards them and saw it was Emma. And she must had felt me watching her, since she turned her head and smiled at me._

_I decided to join her._

_I noticed she was swimming along on one of the dorsal fins and I grabbed onto one and swam alongside her until I pointed her towards the beach. She nodded and together, we let go of the perspective dolphins we were riding and swam to the surface to find a spot of sand. One where people were most likely not come across two mermaids drying off their tails._

_Once we broke the surface, I and Emma swam towards a bunch of rocks that thankfully went dry and led straight to land. I helped Emma up onto them and I raised my hand into a fist over my and Emma's tails._

_And a few minutes later, the two golden tail was gone and replaced with 2 pairs of human legs._

_"Thanks," Emma said, helping me up, "Fancy seeing you around here."_

_"Yeah, me too, " I said, "I was surprised to see you swimming around. Aren't you supposed to be helping Lewis with some project on the moon pool or something?"_

_"Actually, for some reason, Cleo had him postpone it because...Oh!" she exclaimed, slapping herself on the forehead, "That's why I out swimming: Looking for you. Cleo wanted me to look for you and bring you to the cafe!"_

_"Oh, is it urgent?" I asked worriedly._

_She shook her head. "No, not really. I think. She just said to find you and bring you there."_

_"If that's the case, why were you in the sea? Couldn't find me on land?" I asked teasingly._

_"That," she said, "and I got splashed and had to hide fast. I was on the beach and then I found you."_

_"Don't you mean_ **I** _found_ **you** _?" I asked jokingly._

_Emma snorted. "Same difference. Ready to go?"_

_I nodded and we started walking off the beach and onto the concrete. Looks like it's to the cafe after all._

_A few minutes later, we arrived at Rikki's. I still couldn't believe that Zane had brought the old cafe and named it after the mermaid herself. But I guess Love does that to you._

_We walked in and I couldn't help but say "Alright, I_ **know** _I didn't mess with Nate again. And it seems like no one needs to be dried off. So, what's this mermaid in for this time?"_

_I couldn't help but laugh as Emma elbowed me softly and the two other mermaids, Cleo and Rikki gave me a look from their table booth. Cleo just gave me a mock glare and you could tell she was keeping herself from laughing. And Rikki just rolled her eyes and tried her best to keep her grin down._

_They were used to my not-so-subtle antics by now._

_"Nice to know you've been good for a while," Cleo said, walking over to me, "but that's not the case. You see, do you know what day it is?"_

_I racked my head for a minute and nodded. "October 21st. Why?"_

_"Well, you see, do you remember what happened a week from now last year?" she asked._

_This surprised me and I now knew what she was talking about. "You mean..."_

_"Yep," Rikki said sarcastically, "it's been nearly one year since you decided to get a tail. Oh, how did we function so long with you?"_

_I laughed. Yep, It's been nearly a year since I became a mermaid. How could I forget?_

_"And for that, we're gonna celebrate on Mako. We do our little beach tradition with the guys and we swim from there," Emma said._

_"Oh, you guys...We don't have to celebrate. It's not a big deal," I stated._

_I almost laughed as Cleo wrapped her arms around me and I returned the hug._

_"Well, of course, we have to celebrate this moment!" Cleo exclaimed excitingly before whispering in my ear, "After all, you're one of us...Charlotte."_

* * *

**Marana's POV**

I pulled myself back into reality and smirked.

Everything was going according to plan.


	40. Swifting Tides

_**Previously...** _

_"So, let me get this straight: Marana is controlling Charlotte!?" Karen exclaimed._

_..._

_"...No, she's not_ controlling _Charlotte. She **is** Charlotte! Kind of like those movies and TV shows Brendan likes to watch where the humans are taken over by some kind of dark spirit. A demonic possession, if you will. They have no idea they were possessed until either they die or the spirit leaves them. Other times, it's like watching through a TV screen. The humans see the actions their body is committing, but they can't do anything about it. And from what I've figured out, Marana has taken Charlotte's body as a host."_

_..._

_"No!" Brendan jumped up, surprising everyone, " I won't take that! I-I-I need to apologize to her! If I hadn't said those things to her, then maybe-"_

_But his grandmother shut him down, knowing where his train of thought was going. Laguna grasped both his shoulders and made him look directly at her._

_"Brendan, there couldn't have been anything you could have done to prevent this. We all knew that Marana could have waited a hundred years to wait for the right moment to get to her," Laguna said seriously._

_"But-" Brendan started._

_"No buts, Brendan! The girl already has enough skeletons in the closet that-"_

_And suddenly, it struck her like lightning. And it emitted a light strong enough to see the answers right in front of her._

_..._

_"Think of what Riley and Miss Williams have told us. Everything Charlotte has refused to fight against, Marana is acting on her desires. One Charlotte would rather keep in a small, dark place in her head than act on. You see, it wasn't until I realized that Charlotte has been wearing a mask in front of us the entire time. Granted, we knew it was there. But behind it was a girl so sad and miserable, she couldn't be allowed to be seen. So Charlotte put up a front. One that could be held in day by day," Laguna explained, "Her experience in Queensland, Australia left her heartbroken in more ways than one can describe. More ways that I didn't understand until now. She lost her self-confidence, her ability to trust others with her feelings, her ability to fall in love, and her sense of security. In Australia, she was rejected multiple times, unwanted, humiliated, and just plain-right denounced from the world her grandmother left behind. But she, as if she wasn't broken enough, in Atlanta, Georgia, that's where she was really, and nearly, lost to the world."_

_..._

_Jonathan looked up at his mother in law. "So how do we bring her back?"_

_..._

_Judging by the last time she spoke with_ " **Charlotte** ", _she doubted Marana was going to let her body go without a fight. Especially now that she was figured out. And she knew Marana would know that she was too._

...

_"Alright, so **Operation: Save Charlotte** is a Go, but here's the thing," Brendan pointed out, "if Marana has taken over Charlotte's body, where is the real Charlotte?"_

_..._

**"Well, of course, we have to celebrate this moment!" Cleo exclaimed excitingly before whispering in my ear, "After all, you're one of us...Charlotte."**

_..._

_Everything was going according to plan._

* * *

_**October 23rd, 2009, Friday Afternoon...** _

**Annette's POV**

Have you ever wondered where you could've gone wrong? As a parent?

Like how your child could become cruel, calculate stranger? How did that even happen?

Perhaps it was my fault. I should have known something was wrong ever since we left Georgia. No, further than that. Perhaps to Queensland.

It all started one night...

_**Flashback...** _

_Queensland, Australia, Midnight, one year ago..._

_I couldn't sleep tonight. Normally, if I had trouble sleeping or cooking would calm me down, but it seemed like I just couldn't get out of bed to head to the kitchen nor the bathroom._

_And that's when I heard it. The sound of the front door opening and closing. I almost grabbed my phone and called the police until I realized that Charlotte wasn't home. Maybe it was her..._

_And what was she doing outside in the middle of the night?!_

_Forcing myself up, I wrapped my robe around me as I got off the bed and walk out of my room. As I entered the hallway, I saw the light come on from the living room and mentally prepared myself to give Charlotte a stern talking about being out all night._

_So, the moment I walked into the living room, I opened my mouth to reprimand my daughter._

_"Charlotte Watsford! Do you know what time it is? It's half-past noon! Where the hell have you been?"_

_And the moment I noticed her clothes, I just knew something was wrong._

_For starters, she was soaking wet from head to toe and she had the most broken expression I had ever seen on her face. And I've thought I've seen it when she came crying after Lewis broke up with her._

_Her eyes seemed lifeless, empty almost. As if something ripped the light out of her very eyes and left a hollow space instead. Her facial expression looked as if she'd been crying but no tears shed. And..._

_I almost thought there was a stranger in front of her, not her daughter._

_She turned to me. "Oh, it's that late? I'm sorry, Mom. I was at a friend's house and I took a walk on the beach. I guess time just slipped away from me."_

_I almost said something back, but didn't. I knew that was a blatant lie right then and there. But it was late and we were both probably tired._

_"Just go put on some dry clothes and go to bed. We'll talk about this in the morning," I said tiredly._

_She just nodded and walked towards her bedroom that gave her the full view of the ocean and that island, Mako island, it was._

_I went back to bed too. I would deal with this tomorrow._

_But shortly as I was drifting off into unconsciousness, I was startled by an ear-piercing sound of someone wailing in pain. I had almost got up to see who it was when I realized who was crying._

_It was Charlotte._

**_Flashback ends..._ **

After that, I felt as if I was living with a stranger. She lived-well, more like existed- as if she didn't have any will to live. She rarely laughed and if she did, it was because I made her and it was forced.

She barely smiled anymore. It's was only the forced smiles I saw.

And then, she stopped painting. I rarely saw her with a sketchpad or a painting easel in hand. I never saw a splash of paint on her, any wet paintbrushes coming out of her room. Her room was spotless. With how organized she usually was, it was constantly cluttered with new art projects.

I should have known something was wrong. The _**moment**_ I heard her cry that night, I should have gone to see if she was okay, to comfort her at most.

After we moved, I assumed a change in scenery would be best.

I'll admit, I partially blamed her pain on Lewis McCartney and Miss Cleo Sertori. I'm ashamed to admit it, but I just knew my daughter would have her heart broken by him. Yes, he seemed like a nice fellow, and maybe in another life, it would have worked out. But I saw the eyes he gave Cleo often and vice versa, and when I heard from her father of their relationship, I just knew this wasn't going to end well for Charlotte.

Does that make me a bad mother? To know how badly my child would get hurt and not protect her?

If I had intervened in some way, would my daughter not be acting as if she had her _soul_ ripped out?

Huh, my Charlotte believed she wasn't the perfect daughter, but perhaps she had a horrible mother.

My mind goes back to Andrea Williams and I shake my head.

No, that _woman_ isn't and shouldn't even be considered a mother. I suspected the day Alaine came to stay with us that she had home problems, but I guess I refused to piece the puzzles together until she raised a hand to Charlotte.

I had grown to adore Alaine and hearing this...this 360-personality she pulled on Charlotte was as hard to believe.

Heck, I'd rather believe my daughter could sprout a tail than that!

I had a feeling in my bones that her mother forced her to turn against her best friend. She just had to. That woman seemed like trouble from the moment I opened my front door to her face. She lived to break her daughter.

Perhaps that's the world we live in: In a world where single mothers either fail to protect their child or show them the most brutal actions of reality.

But just as I had thought of bringing Charlotte to Georgia would have been the best thing for her, I made a mistake.

And I was almost too late.

_**Flashback...** _

_Atlanta, Georgia, eight-nine months ago..._

_"Charlotte, Sweetie, I'm home!" I exclaimed as I came in through the front door of the house. My feet were killing me and I was ready to pass out, but I couldn't drop dead just yet._

_As I sat my bag down, removed my toque Blanche_ _from my head, and took off my shoes, I noticed that Charlotte hadn't replied._

_"Charlotte?" I called out again. But still no answer._

_"I swear, that girl..." I muttered as I walked towards her bedroom._

_After seeing how unhappy Charlotte was in Australia, I was allowed to work here in the States after a recommendation was given to me by a client. I almost didn't take it until Charlotte convinced me to. But the light in Charlotte's eyes didn't seem to come back even after the move._

_The job was in Atlanta, Georgia and I was uncomfortable about moving halfway through Charlotte's Junior Year in high school. Nevertheless, out of the continent. Luckily, I enrolled her into Druid Hills High School and she seemed to be doing well there._

_Though I'm still angry at the boy who dared make Charlotte walk home covered in mud! Why can't she just tell me who it is so I can file a report? Or at least tell his parents what he'd done! My daughter deserved that at least!_

_But as a mother, I noticed how the light_ **still** _hadn't returned to my daughter's eyes. If anything, it seemed more like they had darkened since we've been here. I've asked her if anything was wrong, but she would wave her hand in dismissal and claim to be fine._

_But I'm not that clueless: I saw the bruising she was sporting on the side of her abdomen. That itself led to an argument I'd rather not remember._

_When I got to her bedroom door, I knocked three times._

_KNOCK!_

_KNOCK!_

_KNOCK!_

_"Charlotte?" I called, before knocking again, "Charlotte? Sweetie, open the door."_

_Still no answer._

_I could feel my heartbeat starting to beat faster and I was now getting worried._

_Normally, I respected my daughter's privacy, but not answering my calls was beginning to make me panic a little. Grabbing the knob, I turned it, surprising to find the door unlocked before walking in._

_Once I entered her room, I looked around. Just like in Queensland, her room was unusually spotless, but I took into account that some of Charlotte's art supplies were out._

_So maybe she was starting to pick it up again._

_Turning towards her bed, I felt relief wash over me as I saw Charlotte tucked under the covers._

_So that's why she didn't answer me: She was taking a nap._

_With a smile on my face, I almost walked out of the room until I noticed the time on her clock._

_6:30 PM._

_I knew I got home late, but she couldn't have been asleep for that long, could she?_

_I walked over to the bed and started to gently shake her._

_"Charlotte," I called._

_No answer._

_"Charlotte, wake up," I called again, a little louder._

_Still no answer._

_I started to panic again as I started shaking her again, more roughly this time._

_"Charlotte, this isn't funny! Wake up!" I exclaimed. By now, I was using two hands to shake her and she still wasn't arising from her slumber._

_The panic started turning into fear and my heartbeat escalated into a faster tempo._

_"Charlotte! Charlotte!" I screamed. I could feel my body shaking all over in fear. This wasn't natural. My daughter wasn't even a deep sleeper even in her drowsiest state._

_Before I realized what I was doing, I turned Charlotte over onto her back and felt for the pulse on her neck._

_My heart stopped._

_My eyes widened._

_My mouth gaped._

_I couldn't feel one._

_"CHARLOTTE!"_

_**Flashback ends...** _

I was startled out of my...memories when I heard the front door being slammed shut. And I didn't have to know who it was.

_"Mother, I'm home."_

Right beside me, I heard Thomas growl before making a beeline to the stranger who I called my daughter now.

When she came into view, I noticed the slightly dark eyeliner around her eyes and the clothes she was wearing.

Charlotte had on a tight-fitting, black dress where her...assets were making an obvious appearance, along with dark leggings and black sneakers. Her wrists were full of black and gray bracelets and the same as for the long necklaces along her neck. Her hair was still sporting bangs, but she had it pinned so it looked liked a bob-cut.

I almost wouldn't believe that this was Charlotte.

She was glaring at Thomas, as she'd been for the past two weeks, and I was nearly off-guard when she pushed him away roughly. It was almost as if she hated him.

But her glare lessened when she looked up and saw me.

"You didn't answer when I came in," she said, walking towards the kitchen.

"Oh! Sorry. I was thinking about something," I stated. Some things I'd much rather forget but much needed to remember.

"What? We aren't moving again, are we?"

I looked up at her to see her drinking a bottle of water out of a straw. She's been asking me a lot about that lately.

"No, and I don't even plan on it. Why do you even ask that these days? I thought you liked it here?" I asked.

She gave me an eye roll, which I would have reprimanded her for that if I didn't feel a nagging in the back of my head that was warning me not too. But that always got me. Why would I have any reason to fear my child?

"I don't know, I mean, California is great. Maybe all this sun is getting to me, but I just...maybe we should take a vacation," Charlotte suggested.

"Where? You were never one travel, and getting you to Queensland was tough enough," I said. Though actually, it was easier when I told her that her grandmother came from the Gold Coast. I didn't understand why, but she's always had this...connection to my mother.

They were closer than she was with me.

"I was thinking the Islands or maybe somewhere up north, like Niagara Falls," she said. This surprised me.

"Niagara Falls?" I asked.

She nodded. "Yeah, we need to spend some quality time together. You know, just the two of us."

She smiled before walking away from me. I smiled back at her as she walked out of the room.

I broke my grin though. I knew this wasn't my daughter.

* * *

_**At the Coves' Residence...** _

_**In the Grotto...** _

**3rd POV**

Everything had fallen into place yet fallen apart.

Ever since Laguna's announcement and the discovery of Marana's possession over Charlotte, the family worked tirelessly to find out:

A. How it was even possible.

B. How to reverse it and save Charlotte before Marana could do even more damage.

The Coves have been working their asses off trying to figure out everything. Karen and Brendan took it to heart how Charlotte's inner demons allowed Marana to control her, but Laguna believes that even Charlotte might have had a few restrictions before letting Marana in. The main problem was finding out what it is.

So far, Karen and Jonathan were dual-sharing Spirit/Demonic Possession, Brendan was researching Exorcisms from different cultures (and water-based ones if it helped), and Laguna was going through every mermaid spell and incantation, even going as for as using grimoire from an old friend to see if it'll help.

"Well, maybe this is what Marana wanted: To be on land," Jonathan suggested reluctantly. He was never one for conspiracy theories, but he was willing to dwell in any of it helped.

"If that's the case, why didn't she just use magic and grow legs of her own?" Karen asked from behind a computer.

"Mom, don't jinx us!" Brendan warned. He was a proud believer in that kind of thing.

Laguna rolled her eyes. She'd call this a discussion on superstition, but who was she to talk?

"I highly doubt that was just what she wanted. For starters, before I lost my visions, and my time alive, Marana still found the reincarnations from miles away. Heck, I'm still trying to figure out the connection between her and the Dust Bowl in the Midwest during the 1930s! She's smart, smarter than I allowed myself to know and look at what happened," Laguna said disheartened.

Karen looked up from the screen and gave her mother a look of sympathy. She knew her mother blamed herself as well for what happened, but as much as it would help, you can't just change the past.

"This is not your fault and you know it. I believe many factors could have led this to happen and we just didn't catch it in time," Karen stated.

"Time? You'd think I'd have enough of it with how long I've been around, but it seems that it always passes away when I look around," Laguna sighed.

"You can't be serious? You're not giving up are you?" Jonathan asked.

"Well, what am I supposed to do? In a way, I'm completely blind-sighted and Marana has Charlotte where she wants her. Or, in a different case, how she wants her. I can't just keep watch over Charlotte's body 24/7!" Laguna exclaimed, "I need to know what's going on in her life. Maybe I could find out where it started or how Marana possessed her?!"

Then, a lightbulb sparked in Karen's head.

"You know what?" Karen said, catching everyone's attention, "I think we need someone on the inside. Someone who's around her enough to tell us what's going on."

"Espionage, huh? I like it, but just one problem: Marana has possibly, if my math is right, been around for more than two weeks. That's enough time to alienate everyone Charlotte cares about and vice versa. She's not stupid," Brendan explained.

" _But_ ," Laguna interrupted, "she does have to keep up with the appearance that she is Charlotte. Besides, we have to take into account that there has to be someone trying to get through to Charlotte, or at least trying through Marana at least."

Suddenly, Jonathan's head snapped up, causing him to rise out of the chair quickly, startling everyone.

"What the-?!" Brendan shrieked.

"Don't you dare!" Karen intercepted.

Ignoring that, he spoke, "I think I know who we need to speak to!"

Laguna got up too. "Well then, care to share with the class?"

"Do you remember Byrnes and that girl you spoke to?"

"Yes, how could I-" Laguna started before her eyes widened in realization, "Jonathan, you're a genius!"

"So, I've been told."

" _ **Hello**_?" Brendan called, attracted the two adults' attention, "Care to explain what you're talking about?"

Honestly, unlike him and his mother, Jonathan and his grandmother always had this non-communicated language only they could understand. And it was ridiculous too.

Jonathan sighed and explained, "You're friend Riley and the girl, Alaine, came directly to us when " _Charlotte's_ " behavior had gotten out of hand. Think about it, out of all the people that know Charlotte, it would only make sense that those who _truly_ know her would be trying to get through to her."

"And it's quite easy to contact them. Though Mr. Byrnes wouldn't be so happy about it, I could ask him to get in contact with Miss Williams long enough so we could gather them and convince them to help us 'breakthrough' to ' _Charlotte_ ' and possibly get an inside look into what Marana has been doing! This way, we would at least be able to decipher how the possession started, find or possibly break the connection between them and, with much faith, be able to get in contact with the real Charlotte," Laguna concluded excitingly.

And who could blame her? This was possibly the biggest lead the family needed to finish the puzzle!

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Brendan exclaimed, making a Time-Out gesture with his hands, "You guys are talking about bringing the guy who's been falling madly in love with Charlotte since she got here, and her ex-best friend, who may or may not be the starting catalyst for all this in the first place, into our little - okay, BIG- situation with an evil sea-witch? Am I the only one who sees the flaws in this plan or am I just slow? And after this, you gonna bring them into the fold too?"

For the first time, everyone was silent at Brendan's logic. In a way, or few, he did have a point.

They'd have enough on their plate as it is with finding out Charlotte's past and how to help her move on with it. And then, it was trying to help her balance her human life with her mermaid life. And now with Marana parading around California as Charlotte didn't help a lick at all.

Was bringing in two human lives even worth it?

Jonathan was the one to break the silence.

"Whether we do or not is..." he started, looking disgruntled, "...As much much as I'd like to...It's just...well..."

In complete honesty, Karen's husband didn't even want to bring them in. So deceiving them for a minute still seemed like the right to do than drag them into this world he lived in.

But what his wife said next surprised the hell out of them:

"Only Charlotte has the final say in that."

Everyone looked to her as if _**she'd**_ been the one controlled by Marana.

And she knew what they were thinking.

 _"What?_ You know it has to come down to it! Charlotte is nearly a grown woman. She has all the right to get the final say in who and who does **not** know her secret! We helped her get as far as she could after everything she's been through. We owe her at least this: Two people from the outside brought into her world."

Brendan looked like he wanted to applaud his mother for her statement, Jonathan was taking everything in his entire being to not argue against her, and Laguna remained silent.

"Alright, Tomorrow afternoon, Jon and Brendan can go convince Mr. Byrnes to step into ' _Charlotte's_ ' life. And hopefully, he'll set his pride aside enough to get through to Alaine as well. If we're going to do this, we need their full-on cooperation. Understood?" Laguna commanded.

Jonathan nodded while Brendan went stiff and did a mock-salute. "MA'AM YES MA'AM!"

The two women rolled their eyes while Jonathan whacked his step-son on the back of the head.

"Could you two go upstairs and fetch us something to drink, and some pillows too? My back is feeling stiff," Karen said. She even laid down, exposing her 9-month pregnant belly to everyone.

She was due any day now and her unborn daughter was kicking up a storm!

And with that, Jonathan grabbed the scruff of the back of Brendan's shirt and marched out of the Grotto. The moment they heard a loud SLAM, signaling their absence, Laguna gave her daughter a look, one that said a lot more than it means.

Karen stared back blankly.

"You're looking disgruntled," Karen stated dismissively.

Laguna gave her a look. "Karen, I've given birth to you, fed you, changed you, loved you, helped you fit into this world as best as I could with your status, and everything in-between. I know you like the palm of my hand."

"Meaning?"

"You emphasized that only _two people_ would get brought into our world by Charlotte's choice. You weren't implying the two humans we were talking about were the ones to know."

Now it was Karen's turn to give her mother " _The Look_ ". "I think we **BOTH** know who the guilty 3rd Party is. Hell, we've been arguing about it for months now!"

"No," Laguna said sternly. She knew exactly who they were talking about.

"Mother, Marana put a magical veil over her door as she _deliberately_ sent a creature to attack her daughter, who now sports 3 SCARS on her back after the incident. And take in her biological involvement, Annette Watsford has enough rights to be brought into the fold. Hell, you didn't even consider looking towards her to be the Inside Woman too. And that adds in the fact that she's practically living with Marana just puts down the final nail!" Karen exclaimed.

More than once, she and her mother quarreled over Charlotte's mother and her right to know. As time went on, it just becomes more clear that the said woman needed to be brought into her daughter's world and for the better. As much as the Coves have helped, Charlotte needs support all around and she's losing patience that she can't be fully honest with her mother. Like Karen said before, many things could have factored in creating Marana's control over Charlotte. And her mother knowing...maybe the next best thing the young women have felt since becoming a mermaid, in general. They've argued enough as it is over the part-time mermaids (that still plague Charlotte's soul) and how they've handled keeping their secrets from their families!

(And on a side note, the two are still angry about how the girls blatantly used their powers to destroy that dinner! Laguna's opinion on them compared to Charlotte about part-time mermaids is now very biased compared to before!)

"By the Higher Powers that are the very reason mermaids exist, don't you think Annette would have known well enough that the person in front of her, claiming to be her child, is an imposter!?" Karen cried out.

There was a moment of pause between them. Granted they've talked- okay fought- about this for months, and even Laguna was willing to admit she had a point. But living in a world that's constantly changing, comparing telling a mother that the Supernatural exists is highly, and debatingly, different between telling a mother that you like the same gender or want to be publicly outed as another gender.

But now, adding in the current events, Laguna might have to fold.

"You're right. Annette would know, because..." Laguna trailed, "A mother knows her child."


	41. The Plan Part 1

_**Previously...** _

_**(Annette)** _

_Have you ever wondered where you could've gone wrong? As a parent?_

_Like how your child could become cruel, calculate stranger? How did that even happen?_

_..._

_Before I realized what I was doing, I turned Charlotte over onto her back and felt for the pulse on her neck._

_My heart stopped._

_My eyes widened._

_MY mouth gaped._

_I couldn't feel one._

_..._

_"Where? You were never one travel, and getting you to Queensland was tough enough," I said. Though actually, it was easier when I told her that her grandmother came from the Gold Coast. I didn't understand why, but she's always had this...connection to my mother._

_..._

_I broke my grin though. I knew this wasn't my daughter._

_..._

_**(Coves)** _

_"Well, maybe this is what Marana wanted: To be on land," Jonathan suggested reluctantly. He was never one for conspiracy theories, but he was willing to dwell in any of it helped._

_"If that's the case, why didn't she just use magic and grow legs of her own?" Karen asked from behind a computer._

_"Mom, don't jinx us!" Brendan warned. He was a proud believer in not saying things that could happen._

_..._

_"Well, what am I supposed to do? In a way, I'm completely blind-sighted and Marana has Charlotte where she wants her. Or, in a different case, where she wants her. I can't just keep watch over Charlotte's body 24/7!" Laguna exclaimed, "I need to know what's going on in her life. Maybe I could find out where it started or how Marana possessed her?!"_

_..._

_"And it's quite easy to contact them. Though Mr. Byrnes wouldn't be so happy about it, I could ask him to get in contact with Miss Williams long enough so we could gather them and convince them to help us 'breakthrough' to 'Charlotte' and possibly get an inside look into what Marana has been doing! This way, we would at least be able to decipher how the possession started, find or possibly break the connection between them and, with much faith, be able to get in contact with the real Charlotte," Laguna concluded excitingly._

_..._

_"You emphasized that only two people would get brought into our world by Charlotte's choice. You weren't implying the two humans we were talking about were the ones to know."_

_..._

_"You're right. Annette would know, because..." Laguna trailed, "A mother knows her child."_

* * *

**_October 24th, 2009, Saturday Afternoon..._ **

**_At the Watsford Residence..._ **

**Marana's POV**

As I sat down at the window of my sister's bedroom, I couldn't help but stare outside the window as the rain poured down. It was thundering behind the dark, gray clouds and I almost smiled in satisfaction, almost as if I created this downpour personally. The once warm day was leaving water vapors on my window and I felt myself smile at the turbulent weather.

_**Almost.** _

I pulled myself out of a vision and _then_ smiled in satisfaction. It was perfect. All the planning and details coming together as if to create the perfect wave. Even better.

Her visions were becoming more frequent.

And by _her_ , I mean Ane'lie's visions.

I wasn't stupid: I, for a long enough time, knew that her recent incarnation had somehow managed to get Laguna's gift.

But I had nearly gotten bored with what she'd had seen so far. Yes, I did send her a few chilling " _messages_ " through her mind, but it wasn't until I took full control that I realized that I had my work cut out for me.

By the Higher Power that gave me magic, I suspected my sister had a tough time as a human, maybe me as a...' part-time' as she calls them, but going through her memories made me want to do nothing more than to take this body is gives those miserable excuse for humans a real dose of power!

It's bad enough watching her cursed to live on land for the next life, but still! Even when she took her vow, which she broke due to her never-ending connection to the sea, some part of her life as a human was merciful.

I went deep into my mind and checked on Ane'lie again and, much to my dismay only saw her with the land-boy she was infatuated with. As much as I've loved her, their relationship frustrated me to no end! Couldn't she see how dangerous it was? Couldn't she see that the more time she let him ' _experiment_ ' on the moon pool, the more he is putting **_EVERY SINGLE EXISTING MERMAID IN DANGER!?_**

By all honestly, even though those land-girls barely got away when they pulled that stunt with the eclipse, that scientist will still go looking.

They always do.

I felt a chill go down my spine from the cold and I shook my head. God, even if this body isn't fully human, I hate the bodily reactions that came with it! I never got sick in my grotto and spells were often used in case I even got accidentally poisoned!

I turned my head away from the window. It wouldn't do either of us any good by thinking about the past. As much as I want my revenge, there's no time for it now.

Not when I'm so close...

 _"Charlotte, lunchtime!"_ I heard Annette calm for me, or rather, _Charlotte._

I started towards the door and the moment I grasped the doorknob, I growled before swinging it open and facing the mangy animal my dear sister thought it was a good idea to have.

I watched in pure annoyance as he bared his canine teeth at me and growled viciously.

A downside since taking over: The dog.

I wanted to believe it was just a myth that land-animals were sensitive to that of the supernatural. But after the unfortunate incident that resulted in him living in this house, he knew when something was wrong. I was even surprised at how he helped Ane'lie when she first got her tail and saved her from being exposed.

But back then, I had hoped that he had lived to see his usefulness.

Now, he's nothing but a pain in my tail. From the moment I entered her body, he knew who I was and vice versa. (I don't easily forget those who hurt my precious pet!)

I was so tempted to burn him alive, but anything I did could have easily triggered Ane'lie back and I definitely would be in deep waters if she found out I killed her beloved companion.

So, I let him live. But when I'm at my full power, he's going to be among the first to go.

_Among a few..._

"Move Mutt!" I growled, kicking it to the side. I added a little bit of force to it, so the animal landed a few feet away from me.

He got up and growled at me once more before going on another constant repeat of barking.

WOOF!

WOOF!

WOOF!

WOOF!

WOOF!

WOOF!

WOOF!

WOOF!

I groaned and walked downstairs. I swear, that dog is possibly the closest thing to making me enact my plan early!

Walking into the kitchen, I was surprised by the pleasant smell of seafood and saw what appeared to be...Fish Burgers, as the land-dwellers call them.

Although I hate to admit it at times, land-dwellers are mostly better used for their cooking rather than their other preferable assets.

I grabbed a plate and sat down at the table where Annette was sitting. She had her nose in a book, a cookbook perhaps while sipping a cup of tea and tried to look as if she was multi-tasking.

Keyword: Tried.

If I was honest with myself, I'd admit that I _may_ hold a soft spot for Ane'lie's current mother.

May or may not.

She was different from the others. In a way, perhaps it was because of her lineage. Not many could say they were the daughter of a failed mermaid, but the irony of their child following their grandmother's footsteps says a lot more.

I always thought that land-dwellers were ignorant, especially when they would say my kind didn't exist. By all honesty, it's bad enough they felt everything unexplainable could be understood by **_science_** , but I've seen enough evil in the world to know humans could be worse than even the most dangerous sea predators lurking from the below.

Perhaps that was one of the reasons why, for some unknown reason, very few knew about magic and chose not to meddle in it. But that can't be said for the rest...

Annette Watsford had to deal with my sister's depression when it got to its worst. When I nearly lost her, she stayed by her side. No doubt that Ane'lie had found herself fighting from growing distant from her mother, even I took pity on her.

The woman almost lost her child to our world and she didn't even know how and why.

Maybe that's why I wanted to spare her. She wasn't as horrible as those girls' families down in Australia. They simply didn't care about how their actions were alienating them and the families were barely making an effort to know why.

At least Annette tries.

"So, wonderful weather we're having," I said before mentally cursing myself. Was that the best I could say?

Annette gave me a perplexed look. "It's storming."

"Storms can be wonderful," I chuckled, laughing at my joke.

She raised her eyes to me for a few minutes before looking back at her book. I took a bite out of my lunch to seem casual.

"So, have anything planned today?" I asked.

She shook her head. "Not really, but your Choir teacher called. Miss Anelies, I think her name was."

This perked me up. "Really? What did she say?"

"She said to remind you to have a costume ready for the Halloween Concert or Dance or something," she said, a little puzzled.

Ah, the concert/dance my sister is supposed to be attending. I almost forgot about that.

"It's both. It was _just_ supposed to be a concert, but then the student Council wanted a dance, so it became both," I explained. The news itself was a surprise, especially since my plans were enacted that day as well.

Especially since there was no such thing as coincidence where I was involved.

"so what are you going as?" Annette asked me.

"A sea witch," I announced with a chuckle. I was vaguely aware of the little nickname Laguna had for me. Hell, she called me that when our little feud started all those years ago. But, in a way, I adopted it and felt it was the perfect direction to go for the 31st.

Annette kept staring at me and I was starting to get annoyed. I knew she was starting to suspect that Ane'lie wasn't in full control, but I hoped she'd eventually overlook it. But apparently, she wasn't that easily swayed.

_Like mother, like daughter..._

"Are you going to come?" I asked.

Annette gave me an incredulous look. "Of course I am! I'm not missing my own daughter's first singing performance! What kind of mother would I be!?"

_One that didn't deserve the right to carry my sister for 9 months._

* * *

_**In Charlotte's mindscape...** _

_**Charlotte's POV** _

_I was with Lewis hand in hand as we walked along the beach._

_I had met up with him earlier at his regular fishing spot and from there, we went on a little stroll. It was nice and sunny outside today, perfect winds and gorgeous waves were forming along the coast. We watched the surfers and the beachgoers either jogged or wandered passed us and decided to sit on the beach, enjoying this wonderful day.  
_

_"So, did you hear?" I asked him giddily, knowing he knew what I was talking about._

_He gave me a playful smile. "Hear what? I've heard completely nothing recently."_

_I shoved him playfully. "Oh, come on!"_

_"Alright, alright!" he raised his hands in surrender, " It's the first anniversary of your transformation in a week. Congratulations, Char!"_

_I laughed. "Thanks, but that's not the only thing coming up."_

_Lewis raised an eyebrow. "It isn't?"_

_"Nope, in fact, so is_ **our** _anniversary too. It has been completely one year since we started dating!" I exclaimed._

_He laughed and wrapped his arms around me. Like Rikki (to an extent though), Lewis had started to be more outwards with his affections since we've known each other._

_I snuggled into his arms as we kept walking. So much has changed after in a year and definitely for the better. Emma and she spent a lot of time together, on and off the land, Cleo and I have managed to set aside their differences and become friends, and Rikki didn't hate her anymore and seemed to like her more. They weren't exactly the best of friends, but more like close acquaintances._

_And her relationship with Lewis was at its strongest. At first, it hurt when he finally admitted that he was only with me to get over Cleo. Even if part of me had always known that the truth still hurt. But eventually, we worked past it. I had my trust issues and he had his, and then came a time we broke up and I let him be with Cleo._

_But that ended differently: Instead of staying with her, Lewis still chose me. ME! He had learned to like me, and eventually, he fell in love with me._

_He hadn't told me that, but his eyes always said so. And so does actions._

_"So, what exactly do you wanna do for our anniversary?" he asked, his head nuzzled into my neck._

_"I was thinking- torn, actually- about having a movie night, just you and me, and having a picnic on Mako. Perhaps where we first kissed."_

_And then my eyes widened. "Not that we have to go there, I mean, we could have it on the beach and..."_

_Lewis chuckled. "I get what you're trying to say, Char. I thought we moved past that already. And I don't mind having a picnic on Mako. From what I do know, you'd need to be on the island anyway."_

_I looked at him. "What do you? What's going on?"_

_"Nothing I can say. Besides, Cleo had Rikki threaten me to make sure I wouldn't tell."_

_"Aww," I pouted. He laughed and I smiled at the sound._

_"So, if we do have this picnic, will you make the food this time?" I asked innocently._

_"Yes, but I can't promise I'm a great cook," he admitted._

_"Well, you're lucky I love you for you and not your cooking abilities. Besides, you could always come to my mom for help," I inquired._

_We both laughed again until we found a spot on the beach to sit on. I sat in-between his legs and he kept his arms around me. We just sat in peace, enjoying each other's company..._

_Until suddenly..._

_A bitter, eerie feeling spread across my body. I was a chilly feeling, almost as if I was stuck in a cold storm in the middle of the ocean. I couldn't breathe and my lungs felt like they were suffocating and it all just felt wrong. Just so, so wrong._

_I started hyperventilating and looking around, sure someone was watching me. I get feels and chills whenever I felt this, but now it was like I was being watched. Prey being stalked by a predator._

_I was freaking out so much that I forgot that I was in Lewis's arms until I felt a pair of lips over mine._

_Slowly, but surely, I started to calm down and relax right into him. The cold feeling went away and I felt warm again._

_"Charlotte, are you okay? I kept calling and calling out to you and you weren't answering!" he exclaimed after he pulled away, "You were acting crazy like you were having some kind of panic attack! What happened?"_

_I took a deep breath and shook my head. I wish I could understand what just happened._

_"I don't know. Lately, I've been getting this feeling...you know, like someone's watching me from far away and it's been leaving me confused and slightly scared," I said, "This is worse than I've ever felt it before."_

_"Did you tell the girls about this?" he asked with concern in his voice._

_I gave him a look. "And what? They'll think I'm crazy and though me and Rikki are on better terms, she'd think someone saw me in my tail and that we've been exposed! I can't tell them, Lewis."_

_I sighed. And I heard Lewis suck in his breath in defeat._

_"Char, if you think someone knows about you or is getting pretty close to it, I...I highly advise that you tell the girls. This wouldn't be their first rodeo. They've thwarted people before. Hell, they've even stopped Kim from finding out and she had massive evidence to support her claim!" he joked._

_I couldn't help but laugh. I heard about that not too long after me and Cleo had become friends. I had felt hypocritical about it, seeing as she used to be on my case about keeping the secret (especially when Rikki was bad enough) but accepted it as one of her bigger mistakes as a mermaid._

_I half-expected Lewis to fight me on this, but instead, he left me be and just held me tighter. I was relieved and relaxed back into him again._

_Dear God, what would I do without this guy?_

* * *

**_At the Coves' Residence..._ **

**3rd POV**

Laguna was anxious.

She was anxious and had a good reason for it!

When she and her family first created this plan, she was excited at the possibility of stopping whatever plans Maran had during her time on land and get the real Charlotte back.

But now, she was nervous.

To start, it was raining. No, pouring outside of her home. The weather channel was surprised to see the sudden storm over the area, and now, instead of the sunny day that was broadcasted earlier, it was raining. This, she was sure, was Marana's doing.

Secondly, Jonathan had volunteered to retrieve Riley Byrnes and Alaine Williams from their homes and bring them here. As much as the idea seemed fine at first, she took in her daughter's and grandson's words. And they made sense.

Even if Brendan was partially acting on his own benefits, there's no way she could ask two people to spy on their friend, even with the risk of Marana hurting them in the process, emotionally and physically, without spilling the Secret.

And Karen proved a point as well. Annette would seem more of a likely person to ask, but this was going beyond the parental boundaries! Asking a mother to spy on her child, even if she may or may not know that said child may not be hers, is being reasoned and downright ridiculous!

Maybe Annette could have looked around Charlotte's bedroom and search for any possible clues, and then what? They couldn't explain why or tell her the truth. Laguna agreed with Karen that only Charlotte had the right to tell her, no matter how much Laguna hoped otherwise. But even if they did, what would that mean for Annette?

Those who've earned the right to be called a Mother have been known to do everything in their power to protect their child, regardless of whether it was the right thing to do or not. Would Annette call the Coves crazy and try to hide Charlotte away? Would she even believe they were telling the truth? What if Marana realizes Annette is on to her and decides to harm her?

There were just too many variables and risks that Laguna could not afford to think about nor want to!

"Mother?"

Laguna turned around to see Karen walking towards her in a pair of sweatpants and Jonathan's shirt, her 9-month pregnant belly more obvious than it was before. Was she like that when she carried Karen and many of her countless siblings as well?

"I'm just thinking," she told her daughter.

"Wondering if the plan is such a great idea?" Karen asked.

Laguna nodded. "I don't feel comfortable asking two land-dwellers to enter our world unknowingly to get close to Marana. That mermaid has gotten smarter over the years than I thought. First, it was the water creature or creation or, as Charlotte calls it, the 'Water Snake', which was created years beyond its time. Then, it was luring Charlotte to the moon pool that changed her and demonstrating her control over it. And the next one was destroying Charlotte's peace of mind and making her see those awful things that never happened. And now, the final hammer to the nail: She's taken possession over her and her body! Please tell me Karen- no, _enlighten me_ \- on how bringing in possibly 2-3 innocent humans into our world makes it any better? Or yet, tell me what lie we should tell them!?"

Karen shook her head. Her mother was overreacting...or underreacting, if possible.

She's never been keen about anyone knowing about the Secret, or the possibility of anyone knowing that some mermaids have are living on land. As old as she was, she was still a skeptic on who knew and didn't know her secret, and once she married or simply had chosen to have a child out of wedlock for the sake of having one to help her find Ane'lie in many reincarnations.

Karen tried not to think much about her childhood. She was one of the many of her late sibling that was born out of wedlock and though it had hurt her to see other kids with their fathers in their lives, she had often felt comfortable with the idea that her mother was strong enough to raise her on her own and held an amazing secret. But then, her tail came in and life just got harder. She had longed to be normal and have friends that she could talk to, but that had quickly backfired.

No, she wasn't biased about humans being let in on the Secret, but she quickly learned that not all humans can be faithful Secret Keepers.

She was in her mid-teens when she met Brendan's father. She had made herself an outcast for the sake of her secret and her relationship with her mother wasn't in the best place. It was bad enough she was bullied, but water pranks were often her main torture when the mean girls realized that she was "afraid" of getting wet. Hell, the day she met him, she was running from them to hide after they had thrown a water balloon at her and she practically hid under bleachers of the football field.

It was the best and worst thing she had done.

It was the best because the bullies practically ran passed her and didn't see her tail.

And it was her worst because just as she started to dry herself, a tall, masculine football player had just happened to walk under the bleachers to get something that rolled under and spotted her in her other form.

Karen's thoughts were interrupted by the opening of the front door and Brendan, coming in wearing a waterproof raincoat and more, entered the living room and found his mom and grandmother.

"Hey, Jonathan's back."


	42. The Plan Part 2

_**Previously...** _

**_(Marana)_ **

_As I sat down at the window of my sister's bedroom, I couldn't help but stare outside the window as the rain poured down. It was thundering behind the dark, gray clouds and I almost smiled in satisfaction, almost as if I created this downpour personally. The once warm day was leaving water vapors on my window and I felt myself smile at the turbulent weather._

_..._

_Annette gave me an incredulous look. "Of course I am! I'm not missing my own daughter's first singing performance! What kind of mother would I be!?"_

**One that didn't deserve the right to carry my sister for 9 months.**

_..._

_As I sat down at the window of my sister's bedroom, I couldn't help but stare outside the window as the rain poured down. It was thundering behind the dark, gray clouds and I almost smiled in satisfaction, almost as if I created this downpour personally. The once warm day was leaving water vapors on my window and I felt myself smile at the turbulent weather._

...

_**(Charlotte)** _

**I snuggled into his arms as we kept walking. So much has changed after in a year and definitely for the better. Emma and her spent a lot of time together, on and off land, Cleo and I have managed to set aside their differences and become friends, and Rikki didn't hate her anymore and seemed to like her more. They weren't exactly best friends, but more like close acquaintances.**

**And her relationship with Lewis was at its strongest. At first, it hurt when he eventually admitted that he was only with me to get over Cleo. Even if part of me had always known that the truth still hurt. But eventually, we worked past it. I had my trust issues and he had his, and then came a time we broke up and I let him be with Cleo.**

**But that ended differently: Instead of staying with her, Lewis still chose me. ME! He had learned to like me, and eventually, he fell in love with me.**

_..._

**A bitter, eerie feeling spread across my body. I was a chilly feeling, almost as if I was stuck in a cold storm in the middle of the ocean. I couldn't breathe and my lungs felt like they were suffocating and it all just felt wrong. Just so, so wrong.**

**I started hyperventilating and looking around, sure someone was watching me. I get feels and chills whenever I felt this, but now it was like I was being watched. Prey being stalked by a predator.**

_..._

**"Char, if you think someone knows about you or is getting pretty close to it, I...I highly advise that you tell the girls. This wouldn't be their first rodeo. They've thwarted people before. Hell, they even stopped Kim from finding out and she had massive evidence to support her claim!" he joked.**

_..._

**Dear God, what would I do without this guy?**

_..._

**_(Coves)_ **

_Those who've earned the right to be called a Mother have been known to do everything in their power to protect their child, regardless of whether it was the right thing to do or not. Would Annette call the Coves crazy and try to hide Charlotte away? Would she even believe they were telling the truth? What if Marana realizes Annette is on to her and decides to harm her?_

_..._

_Laguna nodded. "I don't feel comfortable asking two land-dwellers to enter our world unknowingly to get close to Marana. That mermaid has gotten smarter over the years than I thought. First, it was the water creature or creation or, as Charlotte calls it, the 'Water Snake', which was created years beyond its time. Then, it was luring Charlotte to the moon pool that changed her and demonstrating her control over it. And the next one was destroying Charlotte's peace of mind and making her see those awful things that never happened. And now, the final hammer to the nail: She's taken possession over her and her body! Please tell me Karen- no, enlighten me- on how bringing in possibly 2-3 innocent humans into our world makes it any better? Or yet, tell me what lie we should tell them!?"_

_..._

_"Hey, Jonathan's back."_

* * *

_**Back at the Coves' Residence...** _

**Laguna's POV**

When Jonathan came in, heavily drenched from head to toe, he quickly ushered inside Ms. Williams and Mr. Byrnes, who were also sporting raincoats for this dreary weather.

Mr. Byrnes looked around my home and whistled. "Wow, I've known you guys for nearly three years and this is the first time I've been invited to your place. Sweet!"

I had to fight the urge to roll my eyes as he gave Brendan a high-five. But the atmosphere itself stopped my grandson from giving it full-heartedly.

I saw Ms. Williams glared at him. "And I don't think that's a good thing. Seriously, my mother will kill me for lying if she finds out I lied about where I was going!"

"And what's more important: Your mom or your best friend!?" Brendan stated harshly.

"Brendan!" Karen scolded.

I looked to see Ms. Williams surprised by the animosity before recovering. "You're right. I was called because you guys said you needed my help. I don't know what this idiot here has to give-"

"HEY!" Riley interjected.

"-but if I can help bring my best friend back, let me in," she finished.

I looked back at Karen and she gave me a knowing look. We needed to do this.

"Alright, take a seat in the living room please," Karen instructed, "Brendan, take their coats."

"But mom!" he whined.

"No buts, Mister!" Karen demanded, glaring at her son who mumbled incoherently under his breath. Ms. Williams shrugged off her floral-patterned raincoat while Mr. Byrnes just threw it at him before joining the rest of my family in the living room.

There were at least 2 couches and a loveseat that circled a wooden table with a TV in front of them. The two teens sat on the opposite side of us, albeit sat apart from each other.

"So," Mr. Byrnes started, "you guys called us about Charlotte. And in case you're asking if her behavior has gotten any better, then the answer is No."

And then Ms. Williams elaborated. "After the...incident, Char got her revenge pretty quickly on those involved. Including me-"

"With good reason," he interjected.

"-SHUT UP! Anyways, we were all told to come to the principal's office and, of course, we were nervous that Charlotte ratted on us, which we deserved. But when we first walked into the office, we didn't see him. Instead, there was a not on the desk saying: **_PAYBACK'S A BITCH! oxoxox Charlotte._** I was probably one of the few that ran out of the room before, like, a hundred balloons fell from the ceiling and hit the others. That balloons weren't exactly hot water, but it was hot enough for them to get the message. And it turns out, according to the receptionist, the Principal was nowhere near his office all day nor did she call for us.

Charlotte is taking this revenge _waaaayyyy_ too far."

My eyes widened. This had Marana written all over it. Of course, her retaliation at the said incident wasn't going to be the last one.

"Was anyone hurt?" Karen asked.

"No, but a lot of bruised egos happened," Ms. Williams retorted, "so, why am I here with the idiot?"

Mr. Byrnes gave her a rather harsh glare before I decided to answer.

"You're here because we need your help. We think you two are the only people who can get through to Charlotte," I said.

There, it was now out in the open.

But the two teens looked at me as if I told them the Secret.

"WHAT THE HELL!?" they exclaimed simultaneously. This caused everyone, but me, to jump in surprise.

"No, no way! If it was just me, I would be on board full-heartedly! But she caused all this and you want her to bring Charlotte back from the Dark Side?" Riley exclaimed in ridicule, "Laguna, are you out of your mind!?"

Before I could answer, Ms. Williams practically shot up and slapped him upside the head.

"OWW! What the Hell was that for?!" he screamed while rubbing the back of his head.

"First off: NEVER ask a woman if she's lost her mind!" Alaine exclaimed. "And secondly, as much as I second that motion, I want to _at least_ hear her reasoning!"

My eyes widened for a second before allowing a hidden smile to form. Perhaps there was more to her relationship to the mermaid that I believed.

"We need both of your help. You two are the closest people she has, and perhaps you could break through to her," Karen said.

"Well, if you want to get close and personal, I'm sure her mom could arrange some arrangement," Riley stated.

Me and Karen glanced at each other. Though we have discussed this back and forth, with me finally admitting that Annette _might_ be brought into the fold, that didn't mean we- well, I- were going to tell her. But that doesn't mean we wouldn't be keeping an eye on her. From my experience, Marana was anything but merciful towards any of the women that gave birth to Ane'lie in the past.

"Well, we haven't. Besides, as much as we see Charlotte like she was one of our own, it felt... _easier_ to let her parent her daughter. Let her try to get through to her," I said as the lie went smoothly through my lips.

Yes, that was the pitiful cover story my family and I came up with in case one of them asked. And, of course, Karen was against it.

I caught Ms. Williams looking at me with a doubtful look on her face. I realized that she knew I was lying and was possibly wondering why.

I saw Mr. Byrnes give me the same look and sighed internally. Charlotte's choice of friends always seemed more perceptive than I thought. Mermaids were one thing. Humans who could see through lies were another.

"Alright," the eighteen-year-old boy states, raising his hand, "I give. I'll help you guys. Admittingly, Charlotte's been avoiding me anyways and I've been trying to get her to agree to another date."

Ms. Williams snorted. "Oh really? How bad was the first one?"

He glared at her. "Maybe if you hadn't been such a bitch, you'd know. It ended quite better than I thought: She kissed me."

Ms. Williams' eyes widened and she looked down. Maybe she was learning that a lot of things happened in her 'absence'.

Hearing a groan, I turned to see Jonathan getting up and he looked annoyed. He hated teenage drama with a passion.

"Alright, Riley, you're in. Now what about you, Alaine? This will be harder since you'll be doing a lot of groveling to get back into Charlotte's good graces," he stated, bluntly telling the truth.

She looked up and gave him a determined look. "I'll do whatever it takes to get my best friend back. I did enough damage to cause this. I need to fix this!"

I felt Karen sigh beside me and I knew what she was thinking. If only this girl knew just how badly the situation was and that it wasn't her fault.

Entirely.

We still needed to get the bases down, and along with that, find Charlotte and discovery/stop Marana's plans.

Or whichever comes first.

"Alright, but before we start, I have one request," Ms. Williams stated.

I caught Jonathan looking up, annoyed.

"Oh really? And what would that be?" he asked, his tone mixed with sarcasm and seriousness. I could sense my daughter's urge to not slap her husband.

"I want to know why Charlotte is acting this way? I need to know what happened," Ms. Williams stated confidently.

My eyes widened at the request.

My family was looking at each other, now worried about how to go with this. Karen would object to the idea, especially Jonathan, and Brendan going to tell his "unofficial" mermaid sister's human friend that she was somehow possessed by her evil sister that she had in another life.

Luckily, I had a plan should either have our human friends' asked.

"Well, you see," I started reluctantly, "Charlotte is like, well, she's family, even though others are...non-receipting to it."

I couldn't help but glare at Jonathan as I get to that part. Even he knew what I meant, judging by his head looking down to the ground.

I started up again. "Anyways, I started noticing that she was upset for a while. At first, she looked, '"Down in the dumps"', as you kids say. It was small like she'd be staring into space. And after that, she progress at work started to slow. She wasn't paying attention to orders, bumping into the customers, getting the orders wrong. Just things that weren't normal about her.

Anyways, around the time of your...disagreement, Charlotte started to change. Her attitude changed from nice and honest to did pleasant and rude. Then, she started getting coming to work less and less and less. I tried calling her phone and Karen tried to arrange for her to come to see us and when she did, she resigned from her job. Well, she came to Paradise on her on, but she still surprised me. She pointed out some things that I hadn't realized she felt and when I tried to get through to her, I realized how much she's changed.

And after that, I did my research, went through some of our little heart-to-hearts, I discovered what happened."

Ms. Williams and Mr. Byrnes held their breaths and I decided to spare them.

"She was going through a Depression. Suggesting that she told either of you of her past, then you'd know that Charlotte has a lot of demons in her closet. Ones that can resurface at any moment and hurt her. And the sad part is: We can't protect her from it, even if we took her side.

I guess that she's reverting to her old self. The one that is mean, ruthless, and uncaring for just as long as she gets her way. I know this isn't her, **_you_** know that this isn't her, and I'm sure her mother knows if she knew what happened. But my point is that Charlotte's whole attitude started with her Depression coming back, and though your fight may have added fire to the fuel, Ms. Williams, it was not your fault."

There was a pause in the room. The silence was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop. I knew my family, except for Karen, didn't know the story I created. But as much as I hated to admit it, having a mermaid's memories, a depressed one's to be exact, has its perks.

Ms. Williams had probably one of the most heartbreaking, guilty looks I'd ever seen, Charlotte to top it the most. I didn't say it was her fault, but some feelings just don't, and knowing guilt where it's due eventually comes off.

"Alright, but we need a plan. Who's going to volunteer first?" Brendan asked, breaking the tension-filled silence.

Ms. Williams came back to us at this. "Easy. Look at the one idiot that she tolerates!"

I dropped my head and was forced, along with the rest of my family, to stare at Mr. Riley Byrnes, who looked as confused as ever.

"What?" he asked, not knowing what he had just gotten himself into.

* * *

_**Charlotte's mindscape...** _

**Charlotte's POV**

_I stayed in my room for the remainder of the day since my little 'accident'._

_After I tried to salvage what was left of our time, I could practically see the gears shifting in Lewis's head. I knew he still wanted me to tell the girls because of the bitter feelings I've had._

_But after all, I've been through, I didn't want things to go sour. Especially on my special day._

_Speaking of which, I pulled out my phone and called Emma to see what's up. It rang for a few minutes before I heard her answer:_

_"_ **Hello?** _"_

_I smiled. "Hey, Em, what's up?"_

_"Nothing much. Well maybe?" I said, but more like it came out as a question._

_"_ **Hey, what's the matter?** _" she asked._

_"Well...what exactly are you and the girls planning on Mako?" I asked._

_"_ **I don't know what you're talking about. Unless you mean about meeting up, sure** _," she stated._

_"Emma, the jig is up! Lewis spilled that you guys are doing something for the anniversary!" I exclaimed while giving myself a small smile._

_I heard a sigh from the other side._

_"_ **I know Rikki threatened him, that's for sure. But leave it to him to at least hint at** _," she retorted before explaining, "_ **I can't exactly tell you what it is. But, We're going through something special. You weren't changed around the same time we were, but let's just say that we planned on doing something...magical tonight. And it may or may not have something to do with you getting over your moon spell.** _"_

_My eyes widened and I felt sheepish. The girls had nearly a year to get over their moon spells, and I haven't quite mastered mine yet._

_"Oh, is there anything else?" I asked._

_"_ **No, and nothing else!** _" I could practically hear the triumphant smirk forming on her face._

_"Oh, come on!" I laughed. "There has to be something you can tell me!"_

_"_ **Nope! MY lips are sealed until the very night of your anniversary!** _" Emma said cheekily through the phone._

_"You made an emphasis on 'my'! I can call Cleo and ask her!" I exclaimed._

_"_ **And I'll call her on speed dial and let her know not to say a word! She's not as suckered up as you think!** "

_We both ended up bursting out in laughter. True, but I could have a hundred ways to get Cleo talking._

_I was just about to ask something when suddenly...the feeling came back. It came over me so quickly that I dropped the phone to the floor and instantly curled myself into a ball. I found myself rocking back and forth as the feeling of dread coursed through my body as if it was trying to spread its misery right through my internal systems. I felt a headache coming on, along with nausea and the faint urge to cry my heart out._

_It was suffocating me again as if it was trying to drown me in a world full of pain and sorrow and heartache all mashed up into one and no one could save me from it. What was this? Why did I feel this way?_

_"_ **Char! Char! Charlotte, can you hear me!? Come on, answer me!** _" I faintly heard Emma's plies from the floor. I tried to get my bearings back together and took deep breaths, slow and steady, as that was what Lewis told me to do the other day in case I had another attack such as this._

_I steadied myself and stopped rocking, closing my eyes. I could do this, I could do this. Just breathe in and out._

_In..._

_Out..._

_In..._

_Out..._

_In..._

_Out..._

_In..._

_Out..._

_I did this at least 8 more times before opening my eyes and looking around. I was still in my bedroom._

_And the feeling of dread was slowly leaving my systems._

_I needed to get...whatever is happening to me, under control._

_I was brought out of my musings when I realized that Emma was now practically screaming from the other side of the phone on my floor._ _Quickly, I picked it up and held it to my ear, answering._

_"Hey, look, I'm so sorry I did that. Something...strange came over me and I dropped the phone for a second," I explained._

_It was silent from the other side until Emma answered back._

" **Is it the same attacks that you've been having?** _" she asked. My eyes widened._

_"Wait! How did you know about those?! I never told-...I am going to kill Lewis!" I stated with a vengeance. I can't believe he told the girls!_

_"_ **He only told me and that was a mistake!** _" Emma defended. "_ **He was worried about you, I bumped into him on the way home, and well... He ended up exploding and telling me everything that happened.** _"_

_I groaned and fell on my pillow. Seriously, if he cracks that easily, it's no wonder he can keep the Secret!_

" **Don't worry. He was the same way with Cleo. He's just worried about you** _," she said, trying to cheer me up. "_ **He's just trying to be a good boyfriend. besides, you should have seen the look on his face when he realized how much he said!** _"_

_When putting it that way, imagining Lewis staring at Emma, completely wide-eyed and flabbergasted, brought a smile to my face._

_"That sounds like Lewis," I stated before frowning again, "but he still shouldn't have told like that. I didn't want anyone to worry!"_

" **But at the very least: Do you think someone knows your secret?** _" Emma asked, concerned._

_"In all honesty: No. When I have these attacks, it's like someone's watching me and making me feel horrible from the inside. At first, it was like a guilty conscience, like I was doing something I had no business doing. Then, the more I had them, the more painful they got. Not physical pain, but emotional pain. Almost as if somethings wrong, I know what it is, but I just don't know what is wrong," I explained as best as I could._

_I was barely scratching the surface of what these attacks felt like, though. Yes, at first, I felt guilty for no reason. But then I felt sad and depressed and I was spiraling down to the edge of my misery. These feelings started to match the symptoms of a Depression and that where the trail goes cold._

_I didn't see any reason for me to be depressed. Not at all._

" **Charlotte, maybe you're having anxiety or some case of paranoia. Hell, you've been around Rikki long enough that you might've caught hers!** _" Emma laughed nervously._

_I started to laugh too. "Maybe, but it just didn't feel right. Almost... almost as if something is wrong. Like I did something wrong," I admitted._

_And with that feeling, I ransacked everything I could have done and tried to see exactly_ _what_ _I did to make me feel this way._

_"_ **Char, I wished I knew what to say o make you feel better. Paranoia seems like the most logical answer, and I know you and the others had a rocky start, but I don't know what to say,** _" Emma sympathized. I felt guilty about that. I didn't want to make one of my friends feel so low._

_"Don't worry," I started, the lie already forming from my mouth, "I'll get over it eventually. Maybe I just need to spend a little alone time, painting or something. Just do whatever you guys are planning for my anniversary and I'll get better. Ok?"_

_I gave myself a fake smile, but I knew it was all a lie. Something didn't feel right and I didn't know what._

* * *

**_At Valencia High..._ **

**Marana's** **POV**

I pulled myself back from the mindscape and scowled.

Ane'lie's started to wake up. She's nowhere near close to it. But that didn't mean that there weren't stepping stones that she was on.

I was going to have to stop checking in on her so frequently and get working ahead on my plans. And in the process, work on finding ways to keep Ane'lie occupied until everything was over. There's no way I was allowing her to wake up!

The young mermaid deserved it.

But that didn't mean I was going to let her find out what I had planned. She let me in with a wish and I granted it. Now, I had to do my part.

Closing the locker in its place, I walked down the hallways while ignoring the whispers from those pathetic humans behind me. Ugh, once again, I'm am reminded as to why humans are such a nuisance!

Just as I _swore_ heard something rather unflattering and was about to call out the person who said it, one minute, I'm on the floor...

...And the next minute, I was on the ground with Riley Byrnes laying on top of me.

In my calmest manners, I stated, "Riley?"

"Yes?" he answered.

I gave a fake smile. "Do me a favor and _please_ get the hell off of me!"

Seeing the surprised look on his face, he did as he was told and helped me off the floor. He was a little too much into my personal space by dusting me off, but I allowed him to permit.

"So, I'm getting straight to the point: I'm making you dinner tonight!" he announced, tucking his hands into his pocket with a confident smirk on his face.

"And I'm getting straight to the point: No," I stated as I started t walk away. "Riley, I've told you before that I didn't want to go on another date."

He caught up to me. "Well, it _is_ a date, per se, but you don't have to get dressed to go anywhere fancy. It's just me coming over and making you dinner. Clean, cut, and clear."

I gave the land-boy an annoyed look. "And what if I don't want you to come over?"

"Easy: I'll tell your mother my plans and I'm sure she'll leave us alone for the night, with the requirements that we don't end up anywhere near your bedroom or- preferably- your bed," He said, a cocky gleam in his eyes that made me want to wipe that happy smirk off his face.

I swear, first a weak land-boy, then an egotistic one, next up, a lowly boy-toy, and now a cocky one. By All that is Holy, where exactly did Ane'lie get her taste in suitors!?

"This is just another pathetic way for you to make me your date to the dance, isn't it?" I asked suspiciously.

He threw his hands up in surrender. "Nope. Just dinner between you and me. A few kisses here and there, but just dinner. I'll work on that dance date later on. So, will you allow me to fix your dinner?"

I did an eye-scan over him. Admittingly, I found Ane'lie relentless suitor funny. He wasn't exactly weak like the first one, nor abusive as the other. And he didn't come off too strong either. He was an enigma that drew her in, yet she resisted...to a fault.

Maybe playing with him some more would make it interesting.

Alright," I gave in, "Just 1 date. One. But screw it up forget about dating me altogether because I won't be interested!"

Just when I thought I had him, he gave me that confident smirk, and I detected a little mischievous in his eyes.

"Don't worry, Mademoiselle, you won't be regretting it."


	43. The Date and Answers

**_Previously..._ **

**_(Coves)_ **

_When Jonathan came in, heavily drenched from head to toe, he quickly ushered inside Ms. Williams and Mr. Byrnes, who were also sporting raincoats for this dreary weather._

_..._

_And then Ms. Williams elaborated. "After the...incident, Char got her revenge pretty quickly on those involved. Including me-"_

_"With good reason," he interjected._

_"-SHUT UP! Anyways, we were all told to come to the principal's office and, of course, we were nervous that Charlotte ratted on us, which we totally deserved. But when we first walked into the office, we didn't see him. Instead, there was a not on the desk saying: **PAYBACK'S A BITCH! xoxo Charlotte.** I was probably one of the few that ran out of the room before, like, a hundred balloons fell from the ceiling and hit the others. That balloons weren't exactly hot water, but it was hot enough for them to get the message. And it turns out, according to the receptionist, the Principal was nowhere near his office all day nor did she call for us._

_Charlotte is taking this revenge waaaayyy too far."_

_..._

**_(Charlotte)_ **

_"I don't know what you're talking about. Unless you mean about meeting up, sure,_ **_" she stated._ **

**_"Emma, the jig is up! Lewis spilled that you guys are doing something for the anniversary!" I exclaimed while giving myself a small smile._ **

_..._

**_I was just about to ask something when suddenly...the feeling came back. It came over me so quickly that I dropped the phone to the floor and instantly curled myself into a ball. I found myself rocking back and forth as the feeling of dread coursed through my body as if it was trying to spread its misery right through my internal systems. I felt a headache coming on, along with nausea and the faint urge to cry my heart out._ **

_..._

**_(Marana)_ **

_He caught up to me. "Well, it is a date, per se, but you don't have to get dressed to go anywhere fancy. It's just me coming over and making you dinner. Clean, cut, and clear."_

_I gave the land-boy an annoyed look. "And what if I don't want you to come over?"_

_"Easy: I'll tell your mother my plans and I'm sure she'll leave us alone for the night, with the requirements that we don't end up anywhere near your bedroom or- preferably- your bed," He said, a cocky gleam in his eyes that made me want to wipe that happy smirk off his face._

_..._

_"Alright," I gave in, "Just 1 date. One. But screw it up forget about dating me altogether because I won't be interested!"_

_Just when I thought I had him, he gave me that confident smirk, and I detected a little mischievous in his eyes._

_"Don't worry, Mademoiselle, you won't be regretting it."_

* * *

**_October 25th, 2009, Monday Evening..._ **

**_At the Watsford Residence..._ **

**3rd POV**

Riley couldn't help but be nervous. He had practically ransacked his closet to find some of his more decent clothes and, without being caught by his bear of a father, stole some cash from his wallet.

He was so dead if the old man found out, but sitting outside Charlotte's front door seemed to give him some strength. But still...

That didn't mean he liked the idea of being the spy.

**_Flashback..._ **

**_ Riley's POV _ **

_"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa! You-you want me to spy on Charlotte!? Are you crazy? She'd never trust me again!" I exclaimed when the Coves told me their idea._

_In its rights, it was a suicide mission without the suicide part! Not to mention, even this new Charlotte barely tolerated me at times, she at least acknowledges my romantic gestures._

_"Yeah, and it's not real!" Alaine retorted._

_Crap, I said that out loud._

_"All I'm saying is that this-this whole, the big plan of yours- isn't going to end well for me!", I stated, "from what I'm hearing, Charlotte trusts me more than anyone of you right now. And what if she finds out then? Then, she'll shut me out too! And then we're back to square one."_

_Karen then took ahold of my hand. "Riley, the girl Charlotte was before...she's gone. This new personality of hers isn't healthy for anyone. I know this is a big stretch, asking you to do this, but if we had any hope of breaking through to Charlotte, it has to be you."_

_"Even if she hates me for the rest of her life?" I asked._

_There was a nervous silence filling the air._

_I shook my head. "I guess so."_

_In all honesty, I agreed with them, but I just couldn't bring myself to use Charlotte like that, even if everyone at school thought otherwise._

_Charlotte Watsford was different from the other girls I met, let alone, knew. Without trying, everything about her drew me in. Perhaps it was because more than her beauty that caught my eyes. After all, while most girls had no problem putting on putting on bare or the majority amount of makeup on their face, Charlotte had that natural beauty going on. While most girls either looked (naturally) skinny or fat, Charlotte managed to make looking muscular and athletically-builts look amazing and gorgeous._

_And she can be the most stubborn person I've ever met, but at the same time, she had an air around her that could only be described as:_

_A Tragic Storm._

_I couldn't put a nail on it at first, but after our first date, I knew I needed to be better. She's already had her heart broken by a guy that shouldn't have used her in the first place and, generally, this is why most guys can't get a girl. Someone already damaged them beyond preparation and can't even let the right guys in!_

_But she wasn't broken to me. She just needed a big...a huge lot of love and care to feel whole again. Like I told her before, I wasn't_ **in** _l_ _ove with her, but I knew that I cared about her more than I did myself._

_And with that, I wasn't going to throw her remaining trust away like that._

_I started to get up from my seat when two strong hands grabbed me by the shoulders and forced me down again, jolting me in surprise._

_How the Hell does Jonathan move so fast!?_

_"Listen, Byrnes, I get it: You love her and don't bother denying it. My whole family can see it. But here's the thing: The girl you're in love with is_ NOT _the person you spend your life with. Do you care about her? Then you need to wake her up, because, as of now, she's getting too dangerous to be around. You get that!?" Jonathan practically growled in my ear._

**_Flashback ends..._ **

With that in mind, Riley was brought back into this plan he called Operation Madness.

And with that thought in his mind, he nervously knocked on the front door.

KNOCK!

KNOCK!

KNOCK!

A few minutes later, his nerves were slightly taken down- _slightly_ -when Annette Watsford opened the door. Riley gave his best smile and noticed the woman was eyeing him up and down with a nod of approval.

"You dress nicely...for a simple dinner," Annette told him, well, more like reminded him.

"Ms. Watsford, I am keeping my promise: Nothing will go down between us. Though if she kisses me, I had no part in that except for enjoying it!" Riley laughed. He could try to be a gentleman, but he wasn't going to forfeit all his touch.

But Charlotte's mother just snorted and scoffed. "Yeah, and that better be it. Listen, are you sure you don't want me to help you before I leave or maybe order takeout in case you decide to burn the house down cooking?"

"Ms. Watsford, I am fully capable of cooking a simple Italian dinner. After all, I'm part Italian on the side of my mother's cousin's sister's mother's twice removed," Riley said, lightening the mood.

"And with that, I left $25 on the fridge for pizza," Annette concluded as she walked passed him. "I'll be home by 8 pm. Call me if something happens. OH! And Charlotte isn't here yet, but she will be soon. Where she's spending her free time nowadays, I don't know."

She wasn't at home already? Well, that just made his plans better! Riley couldn't help but smile as he watched the mother of his somewhat-maybe-more crush get in her car and drive off, he wasted in time getting inside and heading towards the kitchen.

...Or he was until he noticed Thomas sitting outside, pawing at the glass door to be let in. Riley wasn't a complete idiot and went and opened the door for him.

He almost lost his footing as the pit bull jumped all over him, pawing him with his tongue sticking out.

"Alright, alright, alright! I get it You're Welcome!" Riley sated with a smile. "Listen, I'm making dinner for your owner. And I need you to stay out of sight for a while, okay?"

To his surprise, the dog seemed to growl at the utter mention of his owner, but he seemed to agree since he got off him and went upstairs. Riley looked outside and could see a lot of mulch and unplanted flowers on the side and was glad to see the wooden flower boxes were now filled with dirt.

Looking around the partially-finished garden, he spotted a bunch of solar lights that he saw Annette buy the last time he was previously. And then, it hit him!

He had an idea.

**_Charlotte's mindscape..._ **

**Charlotte's POV**

_I was sitting in my bedroom, watching TV with a bowl of popcorn, staring at the TV._

_I had done my normal routine for the day: Spent some time swimming after school, got home from school, and did my homework. But my mom was working the night shift at the restaurant, so it was just me._

_The girls were **still**_ _being secretive about the anniversary and add in the fact that will be in 6 DAYS...well, I'm getting anxious!_

_I was tempted to invite Lewis over, but I felt that I've been a little too clingy to him lately (though he said otherwise when I voiced him about this.) Besides, he was working on a science project (not Mako-related), so I didn't want to bother him._

_So, to bring to a conclusion:_

_I'm bored on Monday night._

_Man, I'm weak._

_Suddenly, TV screening came back on from commercials._

" _And now_ ," the TV announcer said, _"It's time to get back to our segment, 'Love From Underneath the Sea'"._

**Marana's POV**

By the time I got to the house, I noticed it was almost dark all over, except for light illuminating from the backyard. I noticed Annette's car was gone and I felt the most delightful drop of dread fill in me.

It was my sister's "date" with Byrnes tonight.

It's bad enough I can't swim to my cave directly, and pretending to be Ane'lie to the Human World was becoming _exhausting_ and it was finally taking a toll on me. As well as keeping Annette in the dark.

I have to give it to her: the woman knew something was amiss since the moment I first saw her after I took over.

**_Flashback..._ **

_The first thing I had to do was open my eyes._

_Well, they were Ane'lie's eyes, but they still needed to be open. I was done staying in the dark._

_Staying in the dark...funny for a mermaid that's been doing that for millennia now._

_It took a little adjustment at first- seeing as It's been the first sight of light I've truly seen, and it wasn't even natural light. Just light from the lightbulbs. I squinted a little at first, then lifted my head out of the water and looked at my tail._

_As Ane'lie, her tail was blue and her dorsal fin was red. But I guess it can tell I was in control, her tail was now indigo and the dorsal fin was violet._

_I like it._

_Now, was the hard part: Getting legs._

_I whispered an incantation that I spent a LONG time creating under my breath. The first part was difficult seeing as it was in a different language and older._

_Then, I felt it. The pain. Unlike what the others think, it was painful seeing your tail liquefying into the water, especially when it's in its rightful element. But I kept continuing the incantation until the pain increased, almost to an unbearable level, until..._

_It stopped._

_Looking at my lower half, I almost gleamed in delight to see, after a long time of practice, instead of a tail..._

_I had legs._

_I managed to raise myself out of the tub and nearly fell to the floor had I not caught onto the sink to steady me._

_Alright, so just because I hadn't used legs before in a long time, doesn't mean I'd have instant control either._

_The spell was a success and I raised my body out the tub and placed my legs on the floor. Though it wouldn't be my first time walking, I had a majority of things to do._

_I started to place one foot in front of the other is repeated steps- not easy to do in a small space- until I quickly got the hang of walking around and my lower-side no longer felt wobbly all over._

_Hesitantly, I walked over to the bathroom mirror and looked at my reflection. Or rather, Ane'lie's._

_Like our dreamscape, she had long, brown hair- a darker shade than before now- and an oval-ish face, and brown eyes. I smiled inwardly._

_She does take after her first life. Just missing the red hair._

_I turned off the running water from the faucet, emptied the bathtub and dried myself before going into her bedroom and finding a dress to put on. Bellator did me a favor of showing me her room before he was forced to retreat and I couldn't have been prouder._

_But I was brought out of my reverie by the obnoxious sound of noise playing from behind me._

_And the next thing I did was turn off that blasted music maker! It wasn't like Ane'lie could tune me out if she tried._

_And to fully start my plans, I first need to fix some damage that my sister foolishly instigated before my arrival._

_Starting with apologizing to Annette._

_Admittedly, that was my fault! I underestimated my sister's self-control. But I had a lot of work to do and I needed to be able to get out of the house._

_Plus, I didn't feel like hurting the one human that hasn't spurred righteous anger from Ane'lie, or me, which is a record._

_Opening the door, I started walking downstairs until I heard the sound of vicious growling behind me. I turned and scowled at the beast my sister had taken a liking to and who in which seems to be able to see me._

_Funny, Humans have always known for animals to be more of a "sixth sense" that could smell beings like me from a mile away. Thankfully, a good deed on my sister's part managed to bring him in as an ally for inconvenient times, he hated me._

_And likewise, to the beast that hurt Bellator!_

_"Dumb mutt," I muttered._

_But he heard me because he started barking up a storm as I walked downstairs, where he followed me and continued so._

_Oh, I was tempted to boil his insides, but alas, I cannot and not in front of Annette..._

_...who I found sitting at the dining table._

_Alright, time to do this routine again._

_"Hey mom," I said quietly._

_She looked up at me but didn't say a word._

_"Look, I know I'm not a your...favorite person right now. And I completely understand! But just hear me out. Okay?" I asked, trying to sound sincere._

_Annette stared at me, almost quizzingly, but nodded._

_"Alright, first off: I'm sorry I skipped school. I know it's important and all, and I had every intention of staying when I got there. But, I've been having a bad day- no, a bad week and I had a lot on my plate. With school, work, and Alaine, I just needed a breather. And though skipping didn't help my mood, I couldn't go back either. Secondly, I'm so, so sorry I blew up on you and slapped you. Ever since we moved here, I've been trying to forget my past and Georgia was the worst possible time in my life I want to forget. I didn't want to hurt you, but I can't stand any mention of it. But that was no excuse to slap you. So, I'm sorry. And, for everything else I have to apologize for, I am truly, deeply sorry for hurting you," I stated earnestly._

_It wasn't hard to voice this, seeing as I have watched Ane'lie struggle between her and her clear love for her carrier, but I also needed her to believe my words as well._

_I feel like I'm waiting hours to hear a response until she got up from her seat and took my hands- or rather, Ane'lie's hands._

_"Charlotte, I know you've been having a tough time lately, and I don't blame you. But you can't always run from your problems. Just like many things, you can't run from Alaine and her problem. And like her, you can't run from your problems like Georgia. Eventually, you're going to have to face them, and you will, whether you like it or not. It will always follow you until you face it. Like a child finally facing darkness without a nightlight. And I can't help you, no matter how much I wish I could. In a few months, you'll be finishing high school and next year, college. You need to be able to face your hardships before moving forward. You understand?" she asked._

_"Yes, I understand," I answered affirmatively, though inwardly, once I was done, the idea of college was redundant, especially me and Ane'lie won't be here when it's all over._

_Nodding, I headed back to my room with a smile on my face. Great, my plan worked perfectly..._

_Now, time to get to work._

**_Flashback ends..._ **

Since then, I had to keep an eye on her and continuing my plan, _but_ I didn't like that Byrnes' was issuing a date in my territory!

Groaning, I walked into the house and was surprised to see the sudden darkness covering the place. I started to look for a switch when I saw light coming from the backyard.

Being conscious, I had my hand curled in a ball as I walked towards the screen door- now opened, I noticed- and saw what looked like solar lights illuminating forming into two circles around a table covered in white cloth and there was a vase of flowers on it, as well as a plate of food.

I stepped outside to get a further inspection until I heard a voice:

"Hello, Beautiful."

_I was enthralled with how romantic the garden scene looked and couldn't help but wonder if Lewis would go the extra mile to go somewhere like that. The girl on the show was...gorgeous, but seemed a little on guard when she saw it._

_ "Hello Beautiful," a rough yet smooth voice called from behind the girl. _

Spinning around, I turned to see Riley standing behind me, surprisingly well dressed, with a genuine smirk in his expression.

"Well," he started, "I'd say that you arrived late, but seeing as this is your house, you're excused."

I snorted. "Exactly. In all honesty, I didn't think you were being serious."

Riley stuttered in mock surprise. "Me? Not serious? Well, I'll have you know that I can be quite the Serious type, and seeing as I made Italian, I was hoping you'd be more courteous about the evening."

I snorted. "With our current track record, when are we ever courteous?"

"Good point."

We just stood there for a good few minutes before we made excuses to be out of each other's presence.

"I'll go put on something nice for this evening," I started, already halfway past him into the house.

"And, well, I'll go get the food," Riley said, already behind me.

_And once again, I was reminded that sometimes Silence was awkward. I couldn't help but laugh as I saw how flustered Riley looked, and felt the urge to compare him to a puppy._

_One cute, big-eyed puppy._

I practically ransacked Ane'lie's memories trying to find out anything more about Byrnes while I quite literally ransacked her bedroom to find the perfect dress for tonight.

It was bad enough that lately I've been forced to reveal my personality through Ane'lie on more than one occasion, and I swore she felt me then after what that land girl nearly accomplished that day. I swear I can only hold that incantation for so long before I have to do something to better my conditions.

And now, though I have to be more careful now than ever, the only Saving Grace I have is that I also have a group of girls now fearing me too much for their good.

And that was just how I liked it.

With that thought in mind, I simply decided on a black, tiered mini dress with black boots, small black flower earrings, a choker necklace, and put my hair into a clip. I didn't even bother with makeup. It just seemed unnatural.

I looked into the mirror. Usually, I spent this time checking in on Sister Dearest, but that's not going to happen any time soon.

Seeing as I looked decent enough, I walked out of my bedroom and headed downstairs where I, once again, found myself face to face with the dog. AGAIN!

This time, he wasn't growling or barking at me. Instead, he kept motioning his head from me to below the stairs where I could hear Byrnes preparing to bring dinner outside.

To me...

Then Byrnes...

To me...

Then Byrnes...

To me...

Then Byrnes...

"Let me guess: You want to see how long I can keep this charade going. Isn't it?" I whispered.

He gave me beady eyes that told me that though he wouldn't outwardly express it, he knew I was a fake from the moment he saw me.

And he wouldn't hesitate on ruining tonight if I tried anything.

Well, Game On!

_After watching the strange stare-off between the main girl seemed off, yet for some reason, in the back of my head..._

_It seemed familiar._

_The scene switched to Riley placing two plates full of pasta with white alfredo and..basil? Along with breadsticks too. Overkill, but Go Big or Go Home, I guess. But I'd give him an A for effort. The girl didn't seem interested in his attempt to be romantic._

_Suddenly, I couldn't help but feel jealous. Lewis hasn't gone that far for one of our dates before. I know that sometimes- alright, a majority of the time- I'm planning the picnics and stuff, but Lewis can be romantic in his ways too._

_But still, I couldn't help but feel envious of the girl right now._

A few minutes later, after I came out fully dressed and caught Byrnes off guard, once again, he politely pulled my chair open for me and we started eating.

And to give him credit where it's due, he's a . . . decent cook.

I decided to let him ramble on and on and do all the talking. Surprisingly, he can put a tale on the more mundane aspects of human life and could brighten the mood between what I would call a tense atmosphere.

Why did I say that? I might be able to see what Ane'lie sees in him. Or more like: What she tries NOT to see. And then, add in that rather _detailed_ rumor about his home life she heard...

Perhaps now's time to shed some light on the Mystery of Riley Byrnes.

"You know, you have quite the story running around at school," I stated.

He looked up from his food. "Really? Does it make me sound like a badass?"

"Depends, if you count rape, abuse, and murder into it," I said, staring at him.

I notice his expression suddenly turn blank and he looked down again. Perhaps now he knew what I was talking about.

"How much did you hear?" he asked quietly. I was surprised at how low he asked, seeing as I barely heard it.

"Well, the story goes that you were conceived by rape in a tale of unrequited love between two gang leaders," I started. "The one your mother was with found out, but not necessarily about the rape, and abuse her and tried to get her to miscarry you. There was a raid, your dad found her, and he protected her. Fast forward a few years later, your mom was trying to get her life together for you and your dad fell in love with her. You were hiding in the closet the night he confessed his feelings for her, but she didn't feel the same way. She was thankful for being there, but she wasn't into him romantically. The tale ends with his murder-"

"-murdering her in front of my eyes and somehow, I remain in his custody of what he did." Riley looked up at me. "Do you believe it?"

_I, for one, don't. The rumor was way too dramatic and detailed to be the real thing. Either he made it up for some reason or someone made it up for him._

_Looking into his eyes, I saw a flash of unbearable pain in them and I felt my heartache out to him in response._

"In all honesty, I don't know what to think," I admitted. The rumor always felt far-fetched to me and though there is some truth in myths, rumors were another story itself. Fabrication of the Truth twisted in such a way to meet someone else's amusement.

I watched Byrnes play with his food for a bit and decided to take actions into my own hands and do something my nor Ane'lie would do:

I took his hand in mine.

I wasn't usually a fan of Human affairs, nor tolerated it, but as heartbreaking is the life my little sister lived, so was the entertaining parts of it as well.

"Can you tell me the truth?" I asked.

It took a few moments before he took a deep breath and opened up his mouth.

"A...the _vast_ majority of what was said is false. There were no gangs, no abuse, and no murder. My mother did die, but it was in an accident. A pure, complete accident on a rainy night," he voiced. "The only truth behind it was that...I am a product of rape. But my situation was completely different. My parents...they lived in a trailer park at the time. My mom was kicked out by her family for reasons my Old Man won't say and was trying to get her GED. My dad worked in a car garage and made a decent living out of it. One night, my mom was walking home from a friend's when she was attacked, practically ambushed by 3 guys...An old couple driving by found her on the ground and took her to the hospital. They did the Rape Kit, the interviews, and everything by the book, but they never found the guys who did that to her.

And it didn't help the case when she found out she was pregnant. Even now, if my DNA was in the system, there haven't been any hits, so the likeliness that my mom was their first and only rape is possible and they're probably outstanding members of society! But, between carrying me and my dad pushing for abortion, it's still a surprise that I'm not adopted. But up until she passed, I knew she loved me unconditionally, you know? 'Told me I could do, be, or have anything in the world if I set my mind to it...Just as long as I didn't go down any dark paths to get there. My dad, well, he became an alcoholic sometime during the pregnancy. He blamed himself, thinking that had he been there that night, it wouldn't have happened. Hell, I heard that argument a lot growing up and it always ended with her saying that she wouldn't have had me," Byrnes confessed.

_"...And it didn't help the case when she found out she was pregnant. Even now, if my DNA was in the system, there haven't been any hits, so the likeliness that my mom was their first and only rape is possible and they're probably outstanding members of society! But, between carrying me and my dad pushing for abortion, it's still a surprise that I'm not adopted. But up until she passed, I knew she loved me unconditionally, you know? 'Told me I could do, be, or have anything in the world if I set my mind to it...Just as long as I didn't go down any dark paths to get there. My dad, well, he became an alcoholic sometime during the pregnancy. He blamed himself, thinking that had he been there that night, it wouldn't have happened. Hell, I heard that argument a lot growing up and it always ended with her saying that she wouldn't have had me," Riley confessed._

_And now, I was a blubbering mess as I had tears running down my eyes and was constantly blowing my nose into tissues that now littered my bed as I had my eyes glued to the screen._

And once again, in a very long time, I am surprised. I kept grasping his hand to give him false comfort as I was silently debating on how Ane'lie finds these types of men.

"I'm surprised you're not crying," I stated silently.

He sniffed. Maybe I spoke too soon?

"I knew I'd had to have this talk eventually. You told me about your past, so it only made sense to tell you about mine," he said, "besides, there's more. The night my mom died, she fought with my dad over me. He still saw me has some parasite that forced itself into his life and he hated my guts for just being born. She just left and drove off because...well, she wasn't a violent person, but for me, she would go there. I-I personally believed she had all intentions of coming home that night and she just went to clear her head. But it was storming, raining so hard she probably could see straight until she hit a deer and swirled off the road. We found out when the police came the next morning. 'Said it was a quick death, that she most likely didn't feel anything when she died. That's when my dad went off the deep end. It was like the night she was attacked, only he felt like he instigated her death. And he took it out on me."

"Riley, are you saying you found out about...your conception through some drunken rage or something?" I asked, curious.

He shook his head. "It was later. I didn't want to be at home with him, so I spent more time on the streets. And you know the story: A street rat gets caught by the police, and then he gets a record. It was by overhearing the cops from my cell during a stunt I pulled that I found out. Practically had a nervous breakdown when I found out. When my dad picked me up, he was probably at the height of his sobriety when he confirmed it. Told me that she went through Hell for me and died for me. After that, I lost my mind and as a result, well, you know how I and Laguna met. Up until now, she's the only one I told this to. And now you, Beautiful."

_"...And now you, Beautiful."_

_Beautiful..._

_That word hit me like a ton of bricks fell on me. I suddenly felt like I was having an attack, but this felt different. Like I was inside a bubble for months and I was getting a breath of fresh air for the first time._

_And that's when it all fades to black._

I suddenly felt chills go down my back and I fell off my chair and onto the ground with a hard "THUMP!"

The last thing I saw was Byrnes kneeling and him calling out for my sister...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those who got confused while reading: the italicized was Charlotte's POV and the non-italicized was Marana's POV. Just to be clear!


	44. The Answer's Tail

**_Previously..._ **

_Riley couldn't help but be nervous. He had practically ransacked his closet to find some of his more decent clothes and, without being caught by his bear of a father, stole some cash from his wallet._

_..._

**_(Riley)_ **

_Charlotte Watsford was different from the other girls I met, let alone, knew. Without trying, everything about her drew me in. Perhaps it was because more than her beauty that caught my eyes. After all, while most girls had no problem putting on putting on bare or the majority amount of makeup on their face, Charlotte had that natural beauty going on. While most girls either looked (naturally) skinny or fat, Charlotte managed to make looking muscular and athletically-builts look amazing and gorgeous._

_And she can be the most stubborn person I've ever met, but at the same time, she had an air around her that could only be described as:_

_..._

**_(Charlotte)_ **

" _And now_ ," the TV announcer said, _"It's time to get back to our segment, 'Love From Underneath the Sea'"._

_..._

**_(Marana)_ **

_By the time I got to the house, I noticed it was dark all over. I noticed Annette's car was gone and I felt the most delightful drop of dread fill in me._

_It was my sister's "date" with Byrnes tonight._

_It's bad enough I can't swim to my cave directly, and pretending to be Ane'lie to the Human World was becoming exhausting and it was finally taking a toll on me. As well as keeping Annette in the dark._

_..._

**_(Charlotte)_ **

_I, for one, don't. The rumor was way too dramatic and detailed to be the real thing. Either he made it up for some reason or someone made it up for him._

_Looking into his eyes, I saw a flash of unbearable pain in them and I felt my heartache out to him in response._

_..._

**_(Marana)_ **

_"A...the **vast** majority of what was said is false. There were no gangs, no abuse, and no murder. My mother did die, but it was in an accident. A pure, complete accident on a rainy night," he voiced. "The only truth behind it was that...I am a product of rape. But my situation was completely different. My parents...they lived in a trailer park at the time. My mom was kicked out by her family for reasons my Old Man won't say and was trying to get her GED. My dad worked in a car garage and made a decent living out of it. One night, my mom was walking home from a friend's when she was attacked, practically ambushed by 3 guys...An old couple driving by found her on the ground and took her to the hospital. They did the Rape Kit, the interviews, and everything by the book, but they never found the guys who did that to her..._

_..._

**_(Charlotte)_ **

_And now, I was a blubbering mess as I had tears running down my eyes and was constantly blowing my nose into tissues that now littered my bed as I had my eyes glued to the screen._

_..._

**_(Marana)_ **

_He shook his head. "It was later. I didn't want to be at home with him, so I spent more time on the streets. And you know the story: A street rat gets caught by the police, and then he gets a record. It was by overhearing the cops from my cell during a stunt I pulled that I found out. Practically had a nervous breakdown when I found out. When my dad picked me up, he was probably at the height of his sobriety when he confirmed it. Told me that she went through Hell for me and died for me. After that, I lost my mind and as a result, well, you know how me and Laguna met. Up until now, she's the only one I told this to. Now, you know, Beautiful."_

_..._

**_(Charlotte)_ **

_Beautiful..._

_That word hit me like a ton of bricks fell on me. I suddenly felt like I was having an attack, but this felt different. Like I was inside a bubble for months and I was getting a breath of fresh air for the first time._

_..._

**_(Marana)_ **

_The last thing I saw was Byrnes kneel and him calling out for my sister..._

* * *

**Riley's POV**

I rushed to side Charlotte's side as she hit the floor with a thud, completely unconscious.

I knelt beside her and quickly held her face, patting her gently to wake her up.

"Char? Charlotte? Charlie?" I pleaded. "C'mon Char, don't do this to me now!"

But she wasn't waking up. It was like some invisible force knocked her out instantly. I don't know what happened, but I wasn't just going to leave her lying there.

As gently as I could, I lifted Charlotte into my arms and carried her into the house.

I rushed passed Thomas, who ended up following us way upstairs until I kicked her bedroom door open and rested her onto the bed.

And, yes, I did go looking to find Charlotte's room. Sue me!

I plopped a pillow under her head and took a seat beside her as she slept. And then, I looked around her room.

Alright, I'll admit it, aside from this date - and look how well it's going - Karen gave me a task that was a suicide mission as a whole.

The mission: Snoop through Charlotte's things and bring back anything that seemed unusually for Charlotte to have.

_**Flashback...** _

_"I'm sorry," I stated incredibly. "You want me to do what!?"_

_Karen raised her hands in defense. "I know this is asking a lot out of you, probably more than what we were asking of earlier, but she seems to still care about you...to an extent."_

_I snorted at that. After the Coves were done talking to me and Alain, we were just about to leave when Karen pulled me aside to ask me for a favor._

_Well, considering I'm being asked to breach the trust of the one girl I like, that's one big "favor" to ask of me._

_Pfft! Favor? More like espionage and the beginning of a long, hard ass-kicking from a very angry yet very hot brunette named Charlotte Watsford._

_"Look, even if I did do this for you, Charlotte is the type of person to know if her stuff went missing. Even the simplest thing, she would notice."_

_"And that's when you come in! I know you two have been getting closer before she changed and now, for some reason, she acts like nothing's different when you're around. That must mean that you can get into her head and find out what's wrong. Is that too much to ask?" Karen exclaimed._

_Yes, yes it is. And stealing from my sort-of girlfriend was not going to win me any brownie points any time soon._

_And Karen knew what I was thinking and held me by the shoulders._

_"Look Byrnes!" she exclaimed, glaring at me. "All I'm asking is that if you find anything strange and out of the ordinary, just bring it back to me and Mother as clean as you can. Get in. Get out. And after that, try to keep an eye on Charlotte as best as you can, even if she tries to drive you away..."_

_And this is when I couldn't help but feel like I was an unwanted participant in a covert op mission._

_"You do know what you're asking me to risk losing Char's trust, right?"_

_But Karen just kept giving me the eyes that said that I was screwed no matter what I said. And I was hating the feeling I might be right._

**_Flashback ends..._ **

After that, here I was. Sitting beside the girl I like - who infuriates me more than I'd like to admit - when I'm supposed to be looking for something that... _and_ I have no idea what I'm looking for!

I gently got up and looked around her bedroom. It was plain, aside from maybe a few paintings that looked like they have framed itself. Aside from a desk that with her computer on it - which I was not touching with my life - that had a mirror attached to it with, surprisingly, no pictures. The same can be said for her dresser and nightstand beside her bed. And most of all, her room was impeccably clean. Hell, you'd think for a girl invested in Sports, Art, and Choir that her room would have been cluttered with all the relatable objects...

But there's nothing. The floor was spotless and everything was neat and organized.

And according to Alaine: That wasn't normal.

So, me being me, the first thing I did was look through the desk. I opened the drawers and went through her supplies, rummaging through her papers, before looking moving towards her dresser and rummaging through her clothes.

And I've willing to admit to doing my obvious best to avidly avoid going through Charlie's bra and underwear drawer.

Looking around, I almost headed into his closet when Thomas suddenly pounced on me, nearly knocking me down in the process.

"What the Hell, dude!?" I silently exclaimed, trying not to wake Charlotte up. But the dog kept whining and prancing in circles before jumping on me again.

"Okay, okay, I get it. Something is wrong with Charlie. I guess you can see that right?" I gestured towards the sleeping girl.

And at this, Thomas growled at the sleeping girl. I had to step in front of her due to the threatening stance he was possessing that was enough to prove why pit-bulls were given a bad rep.

"WHOA! Thomas, stay!" I warned him. Another thing I just noticed: For some reason, the dog wasn't as protective of Charlotte as he usually was anymore. He seemed more likely to attack her.

But he still bared his teeth at her before he moved behind me and moved his head under the bed. He was too big to fit it, but he kept looking at me before moving his head under the bed.

Now, I was perplexed. I always had the impression that if Thomas was a character in the Air Bud movies, he'd long be talking by now. But following his lead, I found myself kneeling onto the floor before I got face-down on my chest to see what Thomas was pointing out to me.

And that's when things got weird.

The underneath of her bed was unnaturally cluttered with junk. The first disorganized thing I saw in the room. Old shoes were bunched up under here and some paintbrushes were just thrown under there, something I knew my Charlie would throw a hissy fit over.

But then I found a wooden box just sitting there. It didn't seem to handle or any type of locks on it. It just seemed...strange.

"Whelp, Karen told me to look for something strange and out of the ordinary," I stated sarcastically. "And looks like I found it."

I reached my hand out and managed to grasp on the box...and that's when it happened.

I felt Charlotte shift on the bed.

Oh no, I was not dying tonight via an Angry Charlotte!

Pulling the box out from under the bed as best as I can without making noise, and once I had the strange, wooden box in hand, I quickly hid it outside the door so that I could grab it on my way out without raising suspicion.

I heard a quick growl from Thomas again before I shooed him away and took my place beside Charlotte as I did before I went snooping.

And then her eyes opened.

* * *

_**Marana's POV** _

Byrnes...

He's the first thing I see after my sister has what can be called an... _emotional meltdown_ , as Humans call it. And despite searching for her throughout my unconscious state, I found her out of commission too. She...She's simply...

_She can't be found._

And now, I have Byrnes looking over me like I'm some wounded animal about to become sea carcass!

I looked around my sister's room and noticed something amiss. Something I picked up over my time between hiding and checking in on Ane'lie was the ability to since when something was displaced and out of order. And as for my sister's habit of cleaning when upset, everything she did had a method to her madness.

I eyed Byrnes wearily before speaking, "What happened and why are you in my bedroom?"

Byrnes staggered back, most probably from my apparent blunt attitude. No surprise, Laguna and Ane'lie were the only ones who understood that aspect of me.

"Well," he started, regaining his composure, "normally, I would love to be here on more... _intimate_... calls, if you know what I mean."

I internally groaned and resisted rolling my eyes as he continued, "But I felt this was better because, well, a guy goes out of his way to cook a nice, romantic meal for the girl he... _really, really cares_ about only to have her fall unconsciously onto the ground. So, I decided to play the handsome Knight in Shining Armor and carry you to your bedroom. Hope you didn't mind."

"More like I hope you didn't steal my underwear," I uttered as I sat up on the bed. I saw him lower his head slightly at the accusation.

Yep, he did.

"I did not. If anything, I was a perfect gentleman," he defended himself. Yeah, right!

"So, now that I'm awake and living as well, you can leave now," I stated. I said that as I got up on my feet, keeping my eyes on Byrnes in the process. As a mermaid, I never understood what was so fascinating about land-people. They've caused so much harm and pollution and...

Even if my kind had denounced me long ago...

"Well, If you want me to-" he started.

"I don't."

I stopped him right there in mid-sentence for the fact that I simply didn't care. I simply wanted him out so I could think and figure out what happened to Ane'lie.

"I mean, are you sure you don't want-" he started again before I stopped him again.

"Riley...Just go."

I practically dropped all the emotion in my voice and stared deeply into his eyes. He stepped back from me by a few paces, giving me an equally passive expression on his face.

He raised his hands in surrender. "Alright, I get it. You need your space, as usual. I'll leave."

I nodded as he stepped aside and started walking towards the door when he turned his head to me one last time.

"But I have just one question: That night when I went flying into the pool. What was that?"

Oh, wouldn't he like to know?

" _That..._ That was a side of me you will never get to see nor would you ever like to know," I stated coldly.

He nodded and stared at me one last time before exiting my bedroom. I waited until I heard the closing of the front door of the house and the sound of his Vespa roaring in the distance before I could officially relax.

That was completely unexpected. Something is wrong with Ane'lie and nothing is right about the entire situation. It's not like she completely blocked me out of her mind- no, my spell was a lot stronger than that. I just needed to focus. Her presence is still there, I just can't reach her.

Perhaps I needed to channel her.

 _Yes_ , I thought as I reached under my bed. _Perhaps I could bring her back, or at least know what happened, if I could-_

Suddenly, I froze.

I couldn't grab anything. All I was grabbing was air. I immediately turned my body so that I could see right under the bed.

There was nothing.

Next thing I know, I'm practically pulling multiple stuff belonging to Ane'lie that I stashed under there for security reasons and I'm the only-

And then it hit me.

Hit me like a powerful tsunami hitting straight for shore and washing me away. And there are only a short few people on my list that could still surprise me.

I had a spy in my mist and I let him right in. And no doubt my lack of consciousness offered the opportunity on a silver platter too.

A strange sound came out of my mouth. At first, it started like a choking noise erupting from my throat before a cackle came pouring out long and drawn out as the wicked laughter forced its way out of my lungs and left me heaving from lack of oxygen.

So, if that's how Laguna was going to play it, then this is how it's going down.

* * *

**_Charlotte's POV_ **

_So this is what it means to drown._

_I heard the story: that you're completely submerged underwater, no amount of swimming or flailing will get you air, all until you had no choice but to engulf water into your lungs, and then their slow yet painless death._

_And as a mermaid, I'd think I was in no way near the process of ever fearing the effects of drowning._

_But then again, Drowning comes in many forms._

_Slowly..._

_Painlessly..._

_Beautiful..._

_What is it about that word that seems so comforting? It's a word that brings flattery and self-worth, yes, but when that guy said that on the TV..._

_It felt familiar._

_I don't hear anything. I don't see anything. Everything around me just faded into black. Had I fainted? Had I had those dark chill crawl up my back again, only to, this time, submit to them?_

_" **Oh, if only it were that...** " I heard a feminine voice from behind me. Suddenly, I started to see it getting lighter around me. Like a shot of light from a window illuminating the room._

_Only I wasn't in a room. My surroundings changed from the darkness into the setting of the moon pool. I found myself facing the water before I turned around to where I deduced the voice was._

_Standing against the cave was a woman that looked in her early 30s._

_And she was beautiful._

_The woman was wearing blueBell Bottoms with a brown belt and a white blouse. She had short, brown hair that slightly cascaded down to her shoulders and her blue eyes...her eyes reminded me of the sea foam that washed up the shores of the beach. She wore a long, turquoise necklace with matching earrings and a bracelet, along with a blue headband with a seashell on it._

_Somehow, I felt like I knew her somewhere._

_She kept glancing at me and gave me a sad smile before walking towards me slowly._

_" **You know, last time we saw each other was on two living occasions. Both living and dead. The first time was when you were a young girl. You crawled into my bed and wrapped your arms around me, waking me up...purposively. You practically made it a routine to come to see me at night and begged me to tell you more about the sea and my little adventures. And I'd tell you all you'd want to hear, even some of the same tales over and over again** ," the woman laughed, " **if only I knew about those chest pains sooner...** "_

_My eyes widened as I remembered that night...the night..._

_" **And the second time we met, while you were in the hospital. Physically, speaking. Mentally-speaking, in the realm of the dead, you were barely alive. No living, if I should call it that** ," she stated bitterly. She walked up to the moon pool and gently knelt to it and dips her hand into it._

_But then she surprised me when an angry scowl formed on her face and she splashed the water harshly in the air._

_" **There is a reason Humans mostly could not find out about Magic, and it's specifically because they either get drunk in it or die for it!** " she screamed as she got up and paced before me, " **And me seeing you that way that night, Hell, me seeing you at all before Old Age wasn't supposed to happen. And it was all my fault. I nudged you. Pushed you towards that path carelessly and nearly lost you because of it!** "_

_I was shocked to see her outburst. I thought she was proud of me. Wasn't this what she wanted? I followed her footsteps. I have friends. I have a smart and caring boyfriend. What was so wrong with that?_

_"Gracie..." her name almost breathless as it passed my lips, "What's going on? Why are you here? No, how is the question! And, and, and what hospital?! Is that where I am now?"_

_She stopped pacing and her anger dissipated from her into a relaxed form._

_" **This...setting, this is the last place I ever wanted to return to. And the last place you ever needed to be. Charlotte, you should have never come here** ," Gracie stated._

_What?_

_My confused look must have shown up on my face because she continued talking._

_" **Charlotte...this isn't what I wanted for you. I wanted you to be normal. I wanted that for both you and your mother. I wanted you both to have normal lives. Not this** ," she stated._

_"What? I thought you...I get that maybe you wanted to be normal. But I thought you were proud of me! Just because you were done being a mermaid doesn't mean I wouldn't want that!" I exclaimed. Everything that was coming out of her mouth was sounding so crazy. She didn't want me to be a mermaid!?_

_" **Honey, I get it. Hell, I always thought it would be a complete crazy person to willingly want a tail, but didn't I feel hypocritical afterward** ," she stated before gently grabbing my hands. " **I get it. I honestly, truly understand what it must have felt like to be here. You were drawn here, even if you didn't realize it. Then you found the pool and realized what it could do. And you loved it! You loved swimming at depts. no human could even reach. Had abilities people only read about or could imagine seeing. You were a creature beyond anyone's dreams.**_

**_And that's why I realized I could live without it. I wanted a husband, kids, grandkids, truth, honesty. I wanted back the whole human experience I left behind. Just look at what Louise and Julia left behind. They never married, had kids, and eventually let go of their powers and virtually no one came to see them when they died. Julia was all alone when she passed and Louise died in a nursing home and none of the girls even knew. Yes, my tail was nice and all, but what was the point in keeping it if it meant pushing those I loved away. Sure, I had friends, and yes, they could relate, but I knew I couldn't live like that. I couldn't handle the lies, the secrets, and the immense loneliness that came with such powers. I couldn't handle keeping my guard up constantly around people. And what if I fell in love? I would have eventual trouble trusting that man. And then there was the possibility of having kids and them possibly inheriting it._ **

**_I couldn't let such a cycle begin again. I couldn't be selfish and want people to wait for me. I wanted to live my life my way. I wanted a husband who I could love and cherish without keeping secrets from him. I wanted my future kids to have a normal life, knowing they had nothing holding them back. No tails or powers could ever make life any easier but instead hinder their lives more. Yes, having magic was great, but what's the point of having it if it would cost you your life?_ **

_**So yes, to them, I simply stopped wanting to be a mermaid. but I knew that if they truly knew what would have happened, they would have made sure to keep me from the pool that night. Louise and Julia might've stayed in the present, but they had no idea how much time they would have lost as mermaids. Max, that boy did love me, and so did I to him, but he was getting obsessed. And without realizing it, he started to value me for my tail than as a person. So when I left, I left my past behind because, as fun as it was, it was only holding temporary happiness for me. That was the same reason why I gave up my locket.** "_

_I didn't know what to say. I didn't know how to say anything. I became a mermaid for her. After all this time, just for her. And she's telling me she'd given it up to spare me of being different?!_

_"But times have changed now, Gracie! I'm not you. I have friends who love me, a guy who saw me as I was long before I had a tail and everything afterward! Besides, this was my choice. I knew what I was possibly getting myself into. I knew what I was doing. Everything worked out for me in the end. Shouldn't you be happy for me!?" I exclaimed in pain._

_Suddenly, she shook her head and gently reached for my face before I backed away. She frowned._

_" **I got to give it to her** ," she started, " **she truly went as far as to block any of your true memories if it meant getting what she wants. She practically made you like Max, stuck in the past. Under a spell and unable to move on.** "_

_What was she talking about? And who was "she"?_

_"Gracie, what are you talking about? And who-"_

_I was cut off when the cave started shaking? An earthquake? It couldn't be a volcanic eruption because this place had been extinct for years! I looked to see my grandmother looking angry now, but not directly at me._

_" **Shit! She's found us! I swear since I'm no longer alive, I hope Laguna knocks her down back to whatever hidden cave she came from!** " she sneered. Wait, what?_

_"This isn't real?" I asked astonishingly. Gracie looked at me and relaxed slightly. But suddenly, she shoved me away when rocked started falling down and nearly hit me. We both landed a little too close to the pool._

_I felt her grab my cheeks in both hands and made me look her in the eyes._

_" **Lottie** ," she rasped her childhood nickname for me through her lips, " **Lottie, if you know deep down in your heart that this isn't real, then you'll be one step closer to realizing the truth.** "_

_"What truth?" I asked hurriedly._

_" **The truth that everything you've been seeing isn't real. I'm sorry I can't tell you more than that but you have to go!** " she said, standing me up quickly._

_"But-but-wait! We have to talk-" I started._

_" **There's no time now!** " she interrupted, " **she's going to find us at any second and she can't see me or who knows how much damage she'll do to you!** "_

_"But Grace-GRANDMA!" I screamed as she pushed me into the moon pool. Water submerged me everywhere and I nearly felt like I was drowning as something was pulling me down. Darkness covered me again. I swear I heard her last words ring clear as a bell._

_" **REMEMBER, CHARLOTTE!** " her voice rang one last time, " **REMEMBER!** "_

_"GRACIE!" I screamed as I sat up. It felt like I witnessed a nightmare in real life. No, more like I slept with my eyes open and dreamed hellishly. I looked around and was surprised by my surroundings._

_I was back in my bedroom._

* * *

_**October 26th, 2009, Tuesday...** _

_**At Paradise Cove Café...** _

**Laguna's POV**

I was working on some paperwork in my office when Byrnes came rushing in, dropped a wooden box in front of me, and the rushed out before I could even get a word in.

Shaking my head, I noticed that there was no latch on it and opened it.

I was surprised to see it full of various shells, locks of seaweeds...until I rose out of my seat when I realized that they were toxic corals when I nearly scratched myself on a fire one.

I picked up my phone and put it on speaker when I realized that I was possibly poisoned.

Thankfully, Brendan answered.

" **Yeah, Grams?** " he answered.

"Brendan, get your mother and tell her to come to my office NOW! It's a Code 3. I repeat CODE 3!" I exclaimed.

I didn't get an answer as he hung up quickly. Code 3 was a term created for 3 types of emergencies: Exposure, threats, and health reasons aka poisoning. And in that order, 1 and 3 were both bad news.

Looking at the box and its filled contents, I quickly dumped it all over my desk. Byrnes wouldn't hurt me knowingly, but what was in this box that was so important? I knew Karen had pulled him aside for a moment, but what did he just give me?

Surely, after going through the poisonous stuff with a stick, I noticed a folded piece of paper lying amongst them. Carefully, I grabbed it and unfolded it. And what I saw surprised me:

It was a drawing.

A very, very realistic drawing, I might add. I've seen Charlotte's work, so I knew it was hers, and when she put her heart into it, it was amazing. But it felt familiar.

The drawing was almost made like a picture. It showed Charlotte and those three other girls she disputed with a year ago. This had the background story of a different (alternative) time when the girls managed to become long, lasting friends.

But why was this among poisonous items of all things?

And that's when I felt it: A tingling sensation. A familiar one that I haven't felt in months. Not since the day I and Charlotte shook hands...

Suddenly, I was pulled into the back of my mind as I realized that I was having a vision.

**_Flashback..._ **

_I opened my eyes as I found myself walking along a trail near the docks. It took me a few minutes at staring at my surroundings to realize that I was enacting a memory though Charlotte._

_The difference between visions and memories is that one sees in the future while the other is based in the past. Since having Charlotte's memories, I mostly was watching as a 3rd Person. Meaning, I would just be in the memory watching Charlotte's emotions and actions, like a Standby._

_However, this is the first time I watched her._

_She/I was walking up the trail in a memorizing daze like she was trying to pull in everyone and everything around her and trap them in her mind like one long memory..._

_Eventually, she walked past the JuiceNet Café, where her/I saw the girls and Lewis sitting outside. Charlotte/I slowly walk passed them, not enough for them to notice, but enough for us to take in the building, the people waling in and out, those that were dining, and especially the group and how at peace they seem to be._

_Well, not really as Lewis McCartney turned his head and saw us. Charlotte/I felt compelled to look down and walk away but he gave her/me a small smile and waved at her/me. I felt her/my lips give a small smile back, but she/I kept walking just as he turned his attention back to the girls._

_I couldn't exactly read her mind in her memories, but I could feel and read her emotions easily. And I knew in another time, she would smile happily and walk up to sit with them._

_After this, we walked everywhere to places that hold significant memories for her, both good and bad. It didn't matter how light-hearted or painful they were to her. They were memories. Eventually, she/I arrived at a pier when the sky appeared to be twilight._

_Looking out at the sea, she/I felt into a pocket of the coat we were wearing and pulled out a folded piece of paper. She/I unfolded it until it was revealed to be a photograph._

_No, it was a drawing. One that looked almost like it could pass for a photo though._

_It was a picture of her/I and the girls. We were sitting in the moon pool, in our tails, facing what could have been a camera in front of them. We were all happy and smiling as if nothing ever went wrong._

_And she/I felt tears running down our eyes just looking at it._

_"I-I feel like this is n eulogy," she/I sniffed, "but maybe it is._ _I'm leaving for the States tomorrow. No one died, but I feel like someone did. I always thought I could be kind and compassionate, and loving too, but it turns out I'm not like that. I don't think I ever was. I hurt people that I cared about. People that I wanted to care about me as well. I had acquaintances, but I never had friends. And just when I did, I-I threw that away! Maybe it's because I idolized my grandmother too much. I cried for her when she died, moved on, and then suddenly became obsessed with her. After that, I manipulated and hurt everyone I cared about just so I could get what I want. And I ended up just where I started: Alone._

_God, I just wish everything could be different! Better!"_

_Suddenly, she/I folded up the paper and started talking again._

_"I know I should have just torn this up along with the others, but I guess this is another, more peaceful form of destruction. It's late, no one would see this and before someone could fish it out, it would already be ruined before anyone could even begin to wonder what it used to be. Maybe this is my eulogy...because I'm going the same way."_

_And with that, she/I threw the folded drawing into the ocean and watched as it floated away before we turned around and started on the way home._

_**Flashback ends...** _

I gasped as I came back to reality and grasped what perhaps was to be the greatest realization since this whole mess.

And I think I now knew how Marana did this to Charlotte.


	45. The Talk

_(Riley)_

_I rushed to side Charlotte's side as she hit the floor with a thud, completely unconscious._

_I knelt beside her and quickly held her to wake her up._

_"Char? Charlotte? Charlie?" I pleaded. "C'mon Char, don't do this to me now!_ "

...

_"_ _And that's when you come in! I know you two have been getting closer before she changed and now, for some reason, she acts like nothing's different when you're around. That must mean that you can get into her head and find out what's wrong. Is that too much to ask?" Karen exclaimed._

_Yes, yes it is. And stealing from my sort-of girlfriend was not going to win me any brownie points any time soon._

_..._

_The underneath of her bed was unnaturally cluttered with junk. The first disorganized thing I saw in the room. Old shoes were bunched up under here and some paintbrushes were just thrown under there, something I knew my Charlie would throw a hissy fit over._

_..._

_(Marana)_

_And then it hit me._

_Hit me like a powerful tsunami hitting straight for shore and washing me away. And there are only a short few people on my list that could still surprise me._

_I had a spy in my mist and I let him right in. And no doubt my lack of consciousness offered the opportunity on a silver platter too._

_..._

_So, if that's how Laguna was going to play it, then this is how it's going down._

_..._

_(Charlotte)_

So this is what it means to drown.

I heard the story: that you're completely submerged underwater, no amount of swimming or flailing will get you air, all until you had no choice but to engulf water into your lungs, and then their slow yet painless death.

And as a mermaid, I'd think I was in no way near the process of ever fearing the effects of drowning.

But then again, Drowning comes in many forms.

_..._

The woman was wearing a pair of blue Bell Bottoms with a brown belt and a white blouse. She had short, brown hair that slightly cascaded down to her shoulders and her blue eyes...her eyes reminded me of the sea foam that washed up the shores of the beach. She wore a long, turquoise necklace with matching earrings and a bracelet, along with a blue headband with a seashell on it.

_..._

_But then she surprised me when an angry scowl formed on her face and she splashed the water harshly in the air._

_"There is a reason Humans mostly could not find out about Magic, and it's specifically because they either get drunk in it or die for it!"_ she screamed as she got up and paced before me _, "And me seeing you that way that night, Hell, me seeing you at all before Old Age wasn't supposed to happen. And it was all my fault. I nudged you. Pushed you towards that path carelessly and nearly lost you because of it!"_

I was shocked to see her outburst. I thought she was proud of me. Wasn't this what she wanted? I followed her footsteps. I have friends. I have s smart and caring boyfriend. What was so wrong with that?

"Gracie..." her name almost breathless as it passed my lips, "What's going on? Why are you here? No, how is the question! And, and, and what hospital?! Is that where I am now?"

...

 _"Honey, I get it. Hell, I always thought it would be a complete crazy person to willingly want a tail, but didn't I feel hypocritical afterward,"_ she stated before gently grabbing my hands. _"I get it. I honestly, truly understand what it must have felt like to be here. You were drawn to here, even if you didn't realize it. Then you found the pool and realized what it could do. And you loved it! You loved swimming at depts. no human could even reach. Had abilities people only read about or could imagine seeing. You were a creature beyond anyone's dreams._

_And that's why I realized I could live without it. I wanted a husband, kids, grandkids, truth, honesty. I wanted back the whole human experience I left behind. Just look at what Louise and Julia left behind. They never married, had kids, and eventually let go of their powers and virtually no one came to see them when they died. Julia was all alone when she passed and Louise died in a nursing home and none of the girls even knew. Yes, my tail was nice and all, but what was the point in keeping it if it meant pushing those I loved away. Sure, I had friends, and yes, they could relate, but I knew I couldn't live like that. I couldn't handle the lies, the secrets, and the immense loneliness that came with such powers. I couldn't handle keeping my guard up constantly around people. And what if I fell in love, I would have eventual trouble trusting that man. And then there was the possibility of having kids and them possibly inheriting it._

_I couldn't let such a cycle begin again. I couldn't be selfish and want people to wait for me. I wanted to live my life my way. I wanted a husband who I could love and cherish without keeping secrets from him. I wanted my future kids to have a normal life, knowing they had nothing holding them back. No tails or powers could ever make life any easier but instead hinder their lives more. Yes, having magic was great, but what's the point of having it if it would cost you your life?_

_So yes, to them, I simply stopped wanting to be a mermaid. But I knew that if they truly knew what would have happened, they would have made sure to keep me from the moonpool that night. Louise and Julia might've stayed in the present, but they had no idea how much time they would have lost as mermaids. Max, that man did love me, and so did I to him, but he was getting obsessed. And without realizing it, he started to value me for my tail than as a person. So when I left, I left my past behind because, as fun as it was, it was only holding temporary happiness for me. That was the same reason why I gave up my locket."_

...

 _"The truth that everything you've been seeing isn't real. I'm sorry I can't tell you more than that but you have to go!"_ she said, standing me up quickly.

 _"But-but-wait! We have to talk-"_ I started.

 _"There's no time now!"_ she interrupted, _"she's going to find us at any second and she can't see me or who knows how much damage she'll do to you!"_

"But Grace-GRANDMA!" I screamed as she pushed me into the moon pool. Water submerged me everywhere and I nearly felt like I was drowning as something was pulling me down. Darkness covered me again. I swear I heard her last words ring clear as a bell.

 _"REMEMBER, CHARLOTTE!"_ her voice rang one last time _, "REMEMBER!"_

...

_(Laguna)_

_I was working on some paperwork in my office when Byrnes came rushing in, dropped a wooden box in front of me, and the rushed out before I could even get a word in._

...

_I was surprised to see it full of various shells, locks of seaweeds...until I rose out of my seat when I realized that they were toxic corals when I nearly scratched myself on a fire one._

_..._

_The drawing was almost made like a picture. It showed Charlotte and those three other girls she disputed with a year ago. This had the background story of a different (alternative) time when the girls managed to become long, lasting friends._

...

_" I-I feel like this is a eulogy," she/I sniffed, "but maybe it is. _ _I'm leaving for the States tomorrow. No one died, but I feel like someone did. I always thought I could be kind and compassionate, and loving too, but it turns out I'm not like that. I don't think I ever was. I hurt people that I cared about. People that I wanted to care about me as well. I had acquaintances, but I never had friends. And just when I did, I-I threw that away! Maybe it's because I idolized my grandmother too much. I cried for her when she died, moved on, and then suddenly became obsessed with her. After that, I manipulated and hurt everyone I cared about just so I could get what I want. And I ended up just where I started: Alone..."_

...

_And I think I now knew how Marana did this to Charlotte._

* * *

_**October 26th, 2009, Monday...** _

_**At Paradise Cove Café...** _

**Laguna's POV**

"Alright, explain this to me again: Charlotte gave Marana her _consent_ to _have her body?!"_ Karen cried out as she was applying a special lotion to my hands.

Jonathan had quickly driven Karen and Brendan to the cafe with an emergency First Aid kit(at least to the public eye) and dove quickly into my office and opened it to reveal various potions and lotions for these kinds of emergencies. Jonathan and Brendan were sitting in one of my other office chairs as his mother healed me.

And that's when I explained to her what I saw.

And I chose to berate her later for not telling what she had Mr. Byrnes do! I was nearly poisoned!

"Karen, at this rate, we at least know what happened. Or, at least what Marana used to get her consent," I said, gently grabbing the paper Karen had earlier decreed wasn't poisonous, "We've been going about this all wrong. Yes, Marana is using her body, but we can't just 'kick' her out like we thought we could. If anything, we need Charlotte herself to do that."

"Like a landlord kicks out their tenants when they don't pay rent," Karen summarized.

Brendan snorted from where he sat. "Barely. What's the picture got to do with anything or why she gave the Sea Witch permission to use her as a puppet?"

"First off, it's a drawing. A very, incredibly well-made drawing, to say the least. Based on Charlotte's memories, unlike her other artwork that depicted her time as a mermaid, this one remained the only one that wasn't destroyed. And take into consideration that Charlotte hadn't known anything back then about what she knows now, I have a hunch she never saw to its destruction as she thought," Laguna stated.

"What?" Brendan asked. "You're saying she didn't destroy the picture yet she let it float away in the water? I'm lost here."

"I have a theory to that," Jonathan spoke deeply. Karen turned to him with her arms folded.

"And that would be...?"

"Charlotte gave the picture to Marana," he said simply like that was the answer to everything.

"Now that just sounds-" Karen started.

"True," I finished, "anymore to go with that?"

My daughter and grandson looked at us like we've grown two heads.

"Let me explain: So far, Marana has never stepped onto land except through, as we know, consent through Charlotte's mind. That is a natural mermaid's creed for as long as they've existed, " Jonathan explained, "Taking into account of Charlotte's memory, she left the drawing to be distorted in the ocean. And seeing as the ocean is Marana's domain-"

"-Marana could have somehow found the drawing, preserved it, and then what? Gave it back to her?" Karen finished with a question. I couldn't blame her. The whole idea sounded as farfetched as it could get.

"Yes. And considering said mermaid found her first, long before we did-"

"-That gave her a whole lot of room to experiment and figure out how to get to her. But that doesn't make sense. Judging from her memories, Mako Island would have been..."Karen trailed off. She had a lightbulb moment and gave the idea that she didn't feel right.

"HOLD UP!" Brendan exclaimed. "Are you telling me Marana purposely _let_ Charlotte lose her powers!? And that the whole time we might have been training her, we were just doing her dirty work to mold her and she just had to get inside her head to initiate her final plans? That's insane!"

I shuddered at what could be a cruel realization. I had suspected from the moment Charlotte had jumped off the pier that night and I lost my gift that Marana had found her and that it was only a bonus that Ane'lie current life had already been involved with the Supernatural world as it is. But I was wrong, very wrong.

Mako Island, like many other moonpools, was like a beacon of power. Those, who with either with a Supernatural sense or by pure coincidence, were drawn there, and often, the younger the mind, the more perceptive they were to the influence of Magic. Technically speaking, Marana could have easily appeared during Charlotte's first time as a mermaid and took over from there. Using the power of the moon pool.

Especially if you consider how those 3 girls were practically human sacrifices with their continuing loss of Humanity, she could have disposed of them easily.

Leaving me hopeless and blind-sighted at the fact I was in the wrong place and at the wrong time to save her from herself.

But instead, Marana could have let her lose her powers and let her mature enough so she could handle her powers more easily. Thus making it easier to control her. Like a similar way that a parent lets their child learn from their mistakes by letting them see and suffer the consequences of their actions. And with Charlotte's choice to let go of the drawing, creating more leverage and created this very disaster!

I knew Marana was cunning and manipulative, but if she truly planned all this like the way I'm thinking...

Jonathan seemed to read my mind.

"Laguna, it's time you faced Marana."

* * *

**_October 27th, 2009 Tuesday..._ **

**_At Valencia High..._ **

**Marana's POV**

After that stunt Byrne's pulled last night, I decided to rethink my strategy.

First off, I had no reason to not suspect it was Laguna's idea for the theft the other night. She's not usually a coward in her antics but using a land-boy to sneak her way in was dirty.

I dare say I kind of liked it!

But the downside of it was that she got her hands on the drawing. Luckily, for security-purposes, I stashed it under some poisonous corals, seaweed, and other toxic things from under the sea, but she'd still get passed it.

The second thing was that I was finally able to come in contact with Ane'lie again. Saved me the worry of her demise but I felt that something was wrong with her. I believed it might've had something to do with our connection being cut, but I felt more than I should.

I would get to the bottom of that when I got the chance, but I reluctantly left her alone.

And the third part was my plans. The Full Moon would be arriving soon, and that meant my plans were close to fruition. But if Laguna discovered my plans too early, then that meant I might have to do some... _permanent_ damage to get her off my tail. And if that meant that the small group of people that cared for my sister became that said collateral damage...

Then so be it.

I kept thinking about this as reached my locker where, as my luck would have it, Alaine Williams was leaning against. I gripped the backpack in my hand harder as I tried to keep my anger down.

She seemed to sense me glaring at her and stood up as I approached her.

"Charlotte."

"Alaine," I stated.

"I just wanted to know if you still planned to perform at the dance, or concert, or whatever! I just need to know," the land-girl exclaimed. I rolled my eyes.

"Considering it's mandatory, and a grade, then Yes. I am still performing," I stated, and then decided to mess with the human, "What? Jealous that I might steal the show?"

Alaine looked taken aback by this and I gave her a smirk. As usual, she was so...gullible.

She recomposed her posture. "I'm only asking because you'll be performing in front of everyone. So don't mess this up!"

I slammed my hand against the locker, look truly annoyed. She's giving Ane'lie grief, and then dared try to get her back, and now goes back to acting like complete whale feces. Once again, I'm steadily reminded of why I hate humans.

Too stubborn and complex for their own good!

"You know, I don't get you," I started, "you either love me or hate me! Just make up your mind already and leave it be! One day, you're a friend, then you're an enemy. And then, you tried to win me back earlier, to no avail. Make up your mind or be done with this! Now would you please leave me alone, I have things worth doing today!"

Turning my head away from her, I proceeded to open my locker as I heard her huff and walk away.

"Well, that was harsher than usual."

I didn't have to turn my head to know it was Byrnes behind me. I was tempted to boil him deeply for the theft he committed, but I decided to play his game.

"I'm sorry, not sorry, Riley. She can't go back and forward like that using me like some toy she debates on playing with. I'm done playing games with her and I mean it," I stated, not looking at him.

"Well, at least she's trying, Charlie. She _could_ be doing a better job at it, but at least she's doing something," he said back.

I slammed my locker shut and glared at him. "'Trying" is not a word in the dictionary for me! I am giving her an option and if she doesn't pick it soon, then I'm choosing for her! And is there some reason you came to see me or are you just that divulged in my very extinguished friendship?"

Alright, not the way I wanted that to sound, but the dropping of his shoulders showed surrender.

"Laguna asked me a favor: She wants to see you. Alone," he stated calmly.

Now that was surprising. But what if she truly suspects...

"I take it you already knew my answer would be 'NO' and told her that?" I asked in a quizzing manner.

He nodded. "Practically told her from the moment she'd knew that would be your first answer and as 'insurance', told me to tell you that...well, it goes along the lines of: 'I know who you truly are and meet me at Castaic Lake.' She wasn't time-specific but-"

I now knew what she was doing.

"I know when to meet her. Thank you for telling me this," I said as I started to walk away.

But not before I was stopped by Byrnes, again.

"Um, listen...about that night?" he started.

"Look I told you I was fine-" I started, interrupting him.

"Not that night, I mean the other one," he said.

I raised my eyebrow, having an inkling about what he was talking about. "Excuse me?"

"That night, I went flying into the pool with your mother. _**THAT**_ night!" he exclaimed in a whisper tone.

Ah, I forgot about that little breakdown my sister had, and may or may not have caused. I almost forgot about the witnesses too.

Another thing to add to my ever-growing list of plans.

At least Annette didn't remember a thing.

"Alright, I'll make you a deal: Put this topic away for the night of the dance and I'll tell you. Can you wait that long?" I asked, gazing lustily into his eyes, "and maybe...something else too?"

I lightly ran my hands over his chest, happily getting the mutual lustful response before stepping back and walking away.

I heard Byrnes groan from behind and smiled.

Land-boys are predictable.

* * *

_**At Castaic Lake...** _

**3rd POV**

Laguna felt out of place as she walked about the sandy beach on the beautiful state reservoir. She didn't want the chance of Marana coming into her territory and more than one human life being taken, especially on her beach.

And the last place she wanted was to meet her where Charlotte had found the moon pool she had created. That was a natural disaster she did _NOT_ want to foresee happening.

Castaic Lake was beautiful was a large recreational area that had a park, it's own lake and beach, and surrounded by several civilians. In hindsight, Laguna felt like this is one of her worst ideas.

To be honest, the old mermaid hasn't _physically_ interacted with Marana since that vicious storm all those centuries ago. And then after that, she stopped seeing her in her visions. It had seemed as though Marana had practically immersed herself in darkness and Laguna was stuck only following her actions, the results of said actions, and of course...

Ane'lie's reincarnations.

Marana was no longer just a face. She was an entity that had no form and that just disturbed her all the more.

And on the side note, one she never really voiced. Ane'lie wasn't exactly her dear-cursed-friend's name, but then again, Laguna was her chosen name for this period and the last decades was Marana was...All she knew was that she subconsciously knew that her enemy had taken a new name.

But the reason behind that was because, at that time, mermaids were so closed off from humans that they had their language. Or more often, they adopted the other language of other sea creatures. It was only until humans started traveling more and more through the oceans that we inevitably adopted their various languages and it stuck!

And with those new languages came the names, especially sea-related ones! Ane'lie would be a perfect example as her name has a Hebrew origin from so long ago and though its a pretty forgotten name, it has various modern versions going around. And despite its true meaning, the dear mermaid chose it and since stuck.

Thinking about that little motion put an ease on Laguna's shoulders as she walked back up and down the man-made beach.

Having given the message to Riley Byrnes had nearly given her a heart attack, but surprised her to find out Marana had agreed to it. And with school being over an hour ago, it was starting to worry Laguna that she wasn't going to come.

"Don't be too sure about that!"

Hearing Charlotte's voice, she instantly looked up to see Char-no, Marana, standing far ways from her.

Looking at the possessed mermaid, who was a few shades paler- a far cry from the tan she got on Paradise- and the dark clothing, she knew Marana was taking advantage of her time on land. An aura of power was radiating from the distance between them. And lastly...

Marana had chosen to show her true eyes for the occasion.

"I was starting to think you wouldn't come," Laguna said, finding her voice. Part of her was wishing that she had brought Jonathan with her- as her family had wished to be nearby in case she tried something- but this was her enemy in the form of her dear friend.

She'd deal with this!

"Not like I had a choice. Well, I did, but I figured this would be the first nice chat we've had in years, don't you think?" Marana asked mockingly, using Charlotte's face to smirk.

Laguna felt agitated. "Marana, I didn't come here for a friendly chat and you know the feeling is mutual. So tell me: What's your endgame in all of this!?"

"Now, what makes you think I'm not Charlotte, Laguna?" she asked mockingly.

It was starting to bug her how Marana was using Charlotte to mimic her body language and had to remember what she was truly here for.

"First off, you dress _**nothing**_ like how the real Charlotte dresses," Laguna started, "secondly, you chose to show your real eyes to me- and those girls that trapped you in a flooding room-"

Marana rolled Charlotte's eyes.

"-And thirdly, I saw the drawing. I deduced that Charlotte gave her consent to take over her body, but you probably did more than intended when she did so. Am I right?"

Marana nodded. She never doubted Laguna's intelligence for a second.

"Yes, she gave her consent. It was an even deal," she stated, walking towards her.

"So, if I'm right and that drawing holds any indication: When you took over, you put Charlotte somewhere. Somewhere that you deemed safe, away from any emotional turmoil that she was currently dealing with..." Laguna trailed.

Marana motioned her to continue.

"So?" she asked.

"You trapped her inside a fantasy. Whatever you had planned, you knew something would cause her to want to take over again. No, you couldn't have that. Not when you had things that needed to be done. So, you trapped her into some kind of illusion she wouldn't want to break out from, one that she believes too easily..." Laguna explained, "...You're making her think she's back in Australia, aren't you?"

This time, Marana laughed out loud. It, once again, disturbed her to hear such a cruel laugh from Charlotte's voice.

It took her a while to calm down, but eventually, she was heaving.

"I'm sorry... I...It's just...I never doubted you for a second," Marana started, "I mean, I did, but I just wasn't expecting you to realize to a little late. I had my doubts the first time I went to see you. And I have no doubts Williams came crying to you over that tragic event. She had it coming too, you know. But yes, that's where I'm keeping her. Far away from the madness, I'm going to enjoy creating."

"And what would that be?" Laguna inquired.

"Nothing you would ever know by then, Laguna. And even when you do, I'd be long gone by then," Marana stated.

"And what is this twisted endgame then!?" Laguna exclaimed, " All you're doing is adding more power to an endless cycle you started all those years ago with Ane'lie! You made her have to choose this path when there was no other choice!"

"And I regretted it!" she screamed. It came with a burst of silence.

"Remember Laguna, I lost my sister that night. But I learned to be patient and wait for her whenever she was born. After all, we're siblings. That tends to happen!" Marana exclaimed, a fire in her eyes as that abyss grew darker.

"And when you're done, you'd destroy another girl in the process," Laguna said.

"No, this time, she'll live. Besides, this time, I'll have a LOT of loose ends to clean up," Marana threatened, "so, I'm going to give you one offer: Get out of here with your family while you still can or you will see casualties like no other."


	46. The Realization

_Previously..._

_(Laguna)_

_"Alright, explain this to me again: Charlotte gave Marana her consent to have her body?!" Karen cried out as she was applying a special lotion to my hands._

_..._

_"Karen, at this rate, we at least know what happened. Or, at least what Marana used to get her consent," I said, gently grabbing the paper Karen had earlier decreed wasn't poisonous, "We've been going about this all wrong. Yes, Marana is using her body, but we can't just 'kick' her out like we thought we could. If anything, we need Charlotte herself to do that."_

_"Like a landlord kicks out their tenants when they don't pay rent," Karen summarized._

_..._

_"Laguna, it's time you faced Marana."_

_..._

_(Marana)_

_After that stunt Byrne's pulled last night, I decided to rethink my strategy._

_..._

_"Charlotte."_

_"Alaine," I stated._

_"I just wanted to know if you still planned to perform at the dance, or concert, or whatever! I just need to know," the land-girl exclaimed. I rolled my eyes._

_"Considering it's mandatory, and a grade, then Yes. I am still performing," I stated, and then decided to mess with the human, "What? Jealous that I might steal the show?"_

_Alaine looked taken aback by this and I gave her a smirk. As usual, she was so...gullible._

_..._

_I slammed my locker shut and glared at him. "'Trying" is not a word in the dictionary for me! I am giving her an option and if she doesn't pick it soon, then I'm choosing for her! And is there some reason you came to see me or are you just that divulged in my very extinguished friendship?"_

_..._

_He nodded. "Practically told her from the moment she'd knew that would be your first answer and as 'insurance', told me to tell you that...well, it goes along the lines of: 'I know who you truly are and meet me at Castaic Lake.' She wasn't time-specific but-"_

_..._

_Laguna felt out of place as she walked about the sandy beach on the beautiful state reservoir. She didn't want the chance of Marana coming into her territory and more than one human life being taken, especially on her beach._

...

_"Don't be too sure about that!"_

_Hearing Charlotte's voice, she instantly looked up to see Char-no, Marana, standing far ways from her._

_Looking at the possessed mermaid, who was a few shades paler- a far cry from the tan she got on Paradise- and the dark clothing, she knew Marana was taking advantage of her time on land. An aura of power was radiating from the distance between them. And lastly..._

...

_"You trapped her inside a fantasy. Whatever you had planned, you knew something would cause her to want to take over again. No, you couldn't have that. Not when you had things that needed to be done. So, you trapped her into some kind of illusion she wouldn't want to break out from, one that she believes too easily..." Laguna explained, "...You're making her think she's back in Australia, aren't you?"_

_..._

_"No, this time, she'll live. Besides, this time, I'll have a LOT of loose ends to clean up," Marana threatened, "so, I'm going to give you one offer: Get out of here with your family while you still can or you will see casualties like no other."_

* * *

_**October 26th, 2009, Monday evening...** _

_**At the Coves Residence...** _

_**In the Grotto...** _

**Laguna's POV**

I felt Karen wrap a blanket around me in the grotto as I stared out into the pool in front of me. I noticed my grandson was swimming around in his tail before he came up.

I had been feeling depressed when Jonathan had come and driven us back home. Marana had left shortly after her threat and, just to piss me off-I assume-she practically dove into the lake. As if to mock me that she now has a destructive foot in both worlds.

"So, she really threatened you to back off and let her be?" Brendan asked, emerging from the pool. He was just as upset about how depressing the meeting went.

"Technically, she gave me an ultimatum, but it's way worse anyways," I started. Not to mention she hinted that she was planning something...

"What I want to know is this: Why didn't you tell us that you believed Charlotte was trapped in her own fantasy?" Karen asked, folding her arms and making her belly pop out more. Ah, I and Jonathan had a silent agreement about this and I had told him my theory, but he made me promise not to tell Karen or she would've have wanted to come with me.

And I did NOT want her and Marana any closer than they were last time! I still shudder at the look of awestruck terror on Charlotte's face when she realized what Marana nearly made her do!

"I didn't tell you because I needed her to confirm it herself," I explained, "everything we have was just pure speculation at that point. Marana's not like those supervillains on TV that just blurt out their master plans. She seemed willing enough to confirm what I already knew- or at least, suspected I knew."

And she did: That was possessing Charlotte, trapping her in her mind, and having the picture to use _**as**_ the consent.

She weaseled her way in right under our noses and we didn't even see it coming!

"I swear, it's always this time of year when something goes wrong," Karen sighed with a hand on her head.

I perked up at that. "What do you mean by that?"

She eyed me curiously. "Don't you know: Halloween is coming up in a few days. And every year, something around this particular night, something magical happens and it's highly debatable whether it's good or bad."

I groaned, agreeing with her. This couldn't truly have come at a horrendous time.

Halloween. The best _and_ worst time of year to be a creature of the Supernatural. While land people consider it a time of games, candy, nasty tricks, and holding false identities, the real monsters and witches of the night can come out and play. Pretending to be like everyone else while being true to themselves and their natures.

And like Karen, I hated this holiday too. For many reasons. For starters, it was originally a pagan festival where the land of the living and dead can cross over (making Cinco de Mayo look like a cheery event). Secondly, for humans, it was to disguise themselves from evil spirits, should they ever come across any. And thirdly, more land people are in more danger than any other time of year because the **_real_** supernatural creatures come out and they aren't as friendly the ones that choose to live within human society. More than often, they come across or become victim to real witches, golems, mischievous fairies, and in my family's case, mermaids that want to drown them.

(Okay, that was overkill, considering the laws, but then again, not all mermaids follow them and draw attention to themselves.)

"At least I have my costume ready," Brendan joked, "I was originally going as a werewolf but then I decided to just go as a vampire."

I rolled my eyes. I normally stripped the happiness of the holiday from my past children, but Karen convinced me to let my grandson have a somewhat-humane experience. At least Jonathan was neutral about it.

"Yeah, and last time, I thought you'd be a wizard. I heard you were going as Harry Potter?" Karen asked. "

"Nah, Riley asked me to as a joke to mess with Charlotte..." he said with a frown.

While those two were musing, or mourning, depending on the mood, I realized something.

"Karen?"

She looked at me. "Yeah?"

"When's the next Full Moon?"

* * *

_**In Charlotte's mindscape...** _

**Charlotte's POV**

_"So Gracie just told you to not be a mermaid?" Cleo asked me as we laid inside the moon pool. I had come here for some alone time, but some part of me shouldn't have been surprised that one of the girls came swimming in from the underwater entrance._

_And to my luck, it was Cleo._

_She had sensed something was wrong and pried me into opening up about my dream._

_"Not exactly," I said, "it was more like she told me why she gave up her tail. She didn't want it as a lifetime commitment. She wanted to be able to trust people again without second-guessing them. And should she had kept her tail, she didn't want to risk what would happen if it was hereditary."_

_"Well, I could see her point there. I mean, I want kids someday, and though I am very aware that things don't always go according to plan-"_

_"we're living proof of that!"_ _I interjected._

_She gave me a look."Life happens and we have to take it as we go. Maybe or maybe not, our kids will be like us, but there's no point in dwelling on it now."_

_"But on that fun note, supernatural girls like us don't have to worry about teen pregnancy," I joked, "seriously, where's the time for boys and sex when you're trying to hide a secret as big as ours?"_

_Cleo and I laughed, though it didn't reach out to me as I had meant._

_If anything, I had a gut feeling that I spoke out of term and laughed over someone else's life story._

_"But anyway, what else did she say?" Cleo asked. I opened my mouth to replay only to close it._

_Gracie's words to remember kept eating at me, but what devoured my subconscious was what she said earlier:_

_Flashback:_

_" **Lottie, if you know deep down in your heart that this isn't real, then you'll be one step closer to realizing the truth.** "_

_ "What truth?" I asked hurriedly. _

_" **The truth that everything you've been seeing isn't real..."**_

_ Flashback ends... _

_"She told me to remember something," I lied. Well, technically, I told a half-lie. I only withheld personal information that only pertained to me._

_"Yeah, but to remember what?" Cleo asked._

_I looked at her. "To be honest, I wish I knew."_

_And I did. If anything, it sounded like Gracie was in a hurry (and it was not because the moon pool and the cave were collapsing on itself.) But what stuck to me more than her reasoning behind her deliberately choosing to give up her tail for normalcy was that she said we had seen each other before._

_In a hospital._

_Now unless she was talking about the day I was born, that couldn't have been true. But between that, and her telling me to remember something, Reality not being real for me is taking the cake!_

_Nevermind, I needed to take my mind off of this. So I turned to Cleo._

_"Are you going to tell me what you guys have planned already?" I begged "I've been a good girl so far. I deserve to not be kept in the dark!"_

_And she laughed at me. "Oh yes, how could I forget? That attitude exposed you to mermaids in the first place, didn't it?"_

_I shook my head. "That, and the fact that you guys left me no choice. Seriously, the moment I recognized Gracie's picture in your bedroom, you might as well as set me up for a world-class mystery hunt!"_

_"And you found this place didn't you?" she asked me rhetorically, still laughing at me._

_I joined in with her, but the laughter itself didn't feel right. And suddenly, I felt a feeling of dread wash down my spine._

* * *

_**October 28th, 2009, Wednesday...** _

**_At the Watsford Residence..._ **

**Marana's POV**

I snapped out of that reality, returning to my sister's bedroom, and growled inwardly. That was not what I expected.

Despite being a living legend, I honestly and truly don't believe in ghosts.

Or I didn't until I heard that little conversation.

So, the late part-time mermaid, responsible for putting my sister on her path, visited her?

Just when I start to doubt human intelligence, they spring another one on me!

But then again, that would explain why she seemed so confused when I was finally able to reach out to her that night.

However, that old hag was a little too late in stopping me and waking her up. My plans were finally in place and there was no one to stop me this time.

WOOF!

I growled inwardly. Well, maybe one thing in my way.

I turned around to see the dog my sister was oh-so-fond of and raised my hand, halfway ready to blast him out the room when Annette came in.

I was still planning on how I was going to get the woman out of California and with me manipulating the weather in my spare time, I was still lingering on using the Siren Voice on her and convincing her to drive off instead of coming to the performance.

And I meant it.

WOOF! WOOF! WOOF! WOOOOOFFF!

"Seriously, Thomas, you act like you don't even recognize her," she scolded the mutt.

But said-beast didn't even look sorry! He just kept moving his head back and forth to both of us, as if he was telling her that she was right on the money.

Which she was, but I wasn't nor planning on telling her that!

"Don't worry about him, Mom," I said, making an effort to call Annette by that title, "he's probably upset that I didn't keep my promise to take him out this Halloween. Though, then again, he and the neighbor's cat have this weird rivalry going on."

She just shook her head and turned her head towards the corner of my room. Ah, I see she spotted my finished costume for the performance.

"My God, this looks amazing, Charlotte," she said, walking over and examining the material. "Where did you get the idea to come up with this?"

Personally, I took inspiration from that favored nickname of Laguna's current for me and had taken to various costume designs to find what I was looking for.

"Honestly, after spending so much time on the beach after work- when I have time to kill- I figured that I mostly would go after something sea-inspired. Besides, it was either this or a sea monster and I have a sneaky suspicion that someone would've had liked the latter," I said half-truthfully.

It took me quite early since the possession to make out what I was going to wear. And seeing as land people typically didn't have what I wanted, I took from one of the many jobs/hobbies my sister had in her past lives and decided to create my costume.

Finding the material wasn't hard to do, but it was the cutting, ripping, sizing and find the right accessories and jewelry, plus a lot of glue drying- without catching fire- before it became the masterpiece before us.

"Don't you think that wearing this much will prohibit you from moving on stage?" she asked.

"Not really," I explained, "it's light, easy to remove, and I won't be wearing a lot of makeup. So overall, I should be fine. Plus Ms. Anelies said that it was okay when I showed her a picture."

Plus, I had to use the Siren Voice a little for extra insurance.

WOOF!

I glared at the dog again. Considering that he was supernatural-sensitive, he had not made these last few days a walk in the park.

"By the way, are you sure they're still going along with the dance?" Annette asked, "the weatherman said a nasty storm is heading this way."

 _Like it's supposed to,_ I inwardly thought.

"No, there are no words in canceling it. But if you're that worried, you could stay home if you want. I wouldn't hold it against you," I said, tempting to use the Siren Voice to change her mind.

"No, I'm not missing this!" she exclaimed. "I've missed enough already, and this won't be it. Your Senior Year is going to be the one I'm exposed to the most and nothing will change that!"

And what if I did?

* * *

_**At the Coves residence...** _

**3rd POV**

After looking through the Lunar calendar the family-owned, the Coves paled in different shades when they found what they were looking for.

Indeed, there would be a Full Moon closing in on them. But what night it would be horrified them.

The current Full Moon was to appear on Halloween night.

This was not good!

Not good at all!

"What the Heck!" Brendan exclaimed. Not that everyone wasn't thinking it.

Once again, this confirmed Laguna's belief as to why she hated Halloween with a passion and why it was coming at the most unconventional time.

Karen quickly rushed out the grotto with her phone in hand while Jonathan, who had just walked in, was genuinely confused.

"Tell me again," he asked, sitting on the armchair next to her, "Why is this a bad thing besides your rightfully paranoiac superstitions?"

The old mermaid glared at him. "First off, Halloween, especially for me since I've moved to land, has always been a sore spot for me. It's the night of tricksters, hypocrites and death always follow. Most don't know it, but even the supernaturals that actually feed on land people come out and then you have your humans that are just plain crazy!

It's the only time of year when the supernatural and the mundane come out and interact, but it comes with a cost of a human coming across the real deal and been sprung into a trap. Normally, this is a bad night because the evil spirits walk amongst us and me- a mermaid whose lives passed her long her supposed death- being visited by them all."

"Like Ane'lie and those who've died over the years?" he asked, stoic as always.

But he was right. By technicality, she should have been reborn so much that there should nothing left behind so she could be born again.

But for every time Ane'lie is born and dies, she has left a family behind. Those that have lived on or died in the wake of her destruction, who have been left with no answers whatsoever about the missing disappearances of the daughter, aunt, niece or whatever family ties Ane'lie had had in those lives.

And Laguna had been plagued with the lives of those families ever since.

"Yes," Laguna answered, "but the other years are tamed compared to this one. Marana being on land on this specific night, on this big lunar occurrence, means bad news and with Marana involved, the bad news is usually terrible news."

"And you'd be right!" Karen exclaimed, waddling in quickly with a phone in her hand.

"Meaning...?" Jonathan prolonged.

She glared at him before answering back to her mother, "I just got off the phone with both Riley and Alaine and learned something I wished I had thought about earlier. You see, there's going to be this big Halloween dance at their school. But due to some complications, a performance that should have been canceled or moved ahead of schedule is happening on the same night. Shared. And guess what: Alaine and Charlotte are both the Choir, which the teacher-in-charge required them to sing a duet or solos at the performance, not a group thing. Mother, this can't be a coincidence."

And suddenly, Jonathan stood up.

"Now wait a minute: We have Marana, who's been on land for about a month, alienating Charlotte's friends and family from her, an event that just so happens to be taking place on Halloween night that Charlotte is supposed to be involved in, a Full Moon on the said-night of the said event, and most importantly a storm that coming in too. Now maybe I'm missing everything I've learned so far with this family or does of these things ring a bell to you, Laguna?"

Laguna was already putting the pieces together in her head before he even stopped talking as her eyes went wide in realization.

Unfortunately, Karen beat her to it. "Marana's creating the storm."

"No, she's not creating just any storm," Laguna concluded, dread filling the air around her, "she's preparing to create a devastating supernatural disaster."


	47. The Storm-Part 1

**Charlotte's POV**

_I woke up this morning to the sun shining brightly on my face and the ringing of my phone blaring against my ear._

_Yes, that must be Rikki calling. Or Emma. Hard to tell sometimes._

_"Hello?" I answered, not bothering to see if I was right or not._

_I was._

_"_ **Get up and meet us at the JuiceNet Café now! We have a big emergency!** _" Rikki called frantically._

_I shot up from my bed and started putting on some clothes. "HEY! What happened? Are the other's alright? Does anyone know our secret-"_

_"_ **Hold it!** _" I heard Emma's voice call out, "_ **Forgive Rikki for getting you started, but there's no emergency except for Happy Anniversary!"**

_I stopped mid-way in-between putting on my blouse_ and _groaned, slumping over_ my _bed. Should I have seen that_ _coming?_

_"Thanks, Emma for being so direct with that! But was that necessary for a wakeup call? I would have gotten up on my own. Plus, it's Halloween! Why you guys are celebrating my first year as a mermaid on the day that celebrates the weird and crazy!? I ranted._

_"_ **You weren't complaining before, and besides, we hardly celebrate it anyways! So ignore that and just come over!** _" Rikki exclaimed on the side._

_"Yeah, I'm coming! And- hold up, I'm getting another call," I stated as I saw Lewis calling on my Caller ID._

_I put them on hold and answered "Happy Anniversary, Lewis!"_

_"_ **I see the girls already got to you first** _," Lewis joked and something in me warmed up at his voice._

_"Nah, I was already just waking up anyway," I said, "So, what exactly are you planning for me today to keep me occupied?_

_"_ **I didn't say I was keeping you occupied** _," Lewis teased, "_ **Besides, didn't you say you wanted a picnic on Mako?** _"_

_"Considering you're making the lunch, that would be: Yes!" I answered excitedly._

_"_ **Great! So, I'll meet you on Mako at 10?** _"_

_"I'll be the mermaid speeding towards you!" I laughed. "Bye...I love you."_

_There was silence before he answered with "_ **Bye** _."_

_I frowned a little bit that he hadn't said it back, but I had to remember that actions speak louder than words. He probably just couldn't say it yet!_

_I called Emma and Rikki back. "Alright, I'm on my way. Try not to cause trouble, will you?"_

_"_ **I think she was talking to you, Rikki** _," I heard Emma joke on the other end, alongside a growl from Rikki herself._

_"_ **No promises** _," the fiery mermaid said. I hung up and decided to change into something more casual yet formal._

_After all, not everyone celebrates the 1st Annual Anniversary as a mermaid._

_I decided on a flowy dress with sandals and put my hair up in a bun before walking out of my bedroom. Walking towards the kitchen, I was greeted by the smell of cinnamon rolls, freshly baked._

_Seemed like my mother was joining in on my good day too!_

_There, in nothing but her pajamas and an apron, was my mom taking out a fresh dozen cinnamon rolls from the oven and putting them on the counter and my mouth-watering as she poured the sugar on top._

_Probably felt my gaze, she turned around and smiled at me._

_"Good morning, Char? You look beautiful today, bunny," she greeted me cheerfully, " Is Lewis joining us, or is it just us girls this morning?"_

_I laughed as I remembered that Lewis has been over a lot, along with the girls, and had taken a liking to join us for breakfast._

_"No, but Emma and Rikki told me to meet them at the café, but I'm sure they could wait a little bit," I said as I prepared to have breakfast with my mom._

_We started to have a nice chat, mostly about work, painting, or just plain girl stuff that we hadn't talked about in a while. Of course, I told her about Lewis and the 3 words that I'd been hoping to hear from him._

_"Just give him time, Sweety," she said, grasping my hands, " I remember how long it took your father to say he loved me and how mad I would get, waiting. But trust me, when he does say it, all that waiting is going to be worth it. OK? "_

_I nodded and started to feel better. She's right. It will be worth it someday._

_By the time we were finished, it was about time to go and I knew I couldn't keep the girls waiting. Especially Rikki of all people._

_I helped mom clean up and told her I was going. But just before I stepped through the front door, I heard my mom ask:_

_"Char, are you walking all the way there, or are you swimming there?"_

_I quickly turned around to see her grin knowingly before I rushed out the door, laughing out loud. I quickly rushed to the pier by my house and, making sure no one was watching, quickly dived in and swam off!_

_To be honest, I'm quite proud of who I turned out to be. I have great friends, a loving boyfriend, an amazing mom, and the best secret a girl could have._

_What could go wrong?_

* * *

_**October 31st, 2009, Saturday morning...** _

_**At the Watsford Residence...** _

**Marana's POV**

I pulled myself from the mindscape my sister was in and smiled.

Today was the big day and if all goes well, me and Ane'lie should be smooth sailing from there.

I woke up this morning and decided to check on my dear little sister and decided to add a few little things to her mind. Though I gave everyone there free reign, if I suspected that someone wasn't doing their part, I'd nudge them in the right direction.

And of course, it would be the land boy my sister is infatuated with.

But luckily, I could grant her the few things she loved so much, such as her relationship with Annette and her secret being in peace with each other.

Considering it was a Saturday and I wasn't required or due at the land school until 8 pm, at the performance, I still had time.

But first...

I turned to see that my costume was still intact. I had been over paranoid that the mutt would come and destroy it overnight, so I made sure my door was locked and the costume tucked securely in the closet for safe measures.

Putting on a simple black dress and some heels, I left the bedroom and headed downstairs towards the kitchen where I came to enjoy seeing Annette cook breakfast for me.

"Morning," I stated, saying the obvious when I grabbed a plate of pancakes from the counter and sat down.

"Morning Char, are you excited for the big night?" she asked, sitting beside me.

I just nodded. I was more than ready, but I had some things to do first.

Speaking of which...

"Can you take me to the school for dress rehearsal early?" I asked.

"Sure, but what for?"

"I just happened to need to ask Ms. Anelies some stuff for my act. It's very important stuff," I stated, trying to end the conversation then and there.

"Alright, what time because I got called in for work early?" Annette asked, pulling out her... whatever land people use to call for long distances.

"You know what, I'll just catch a ride with someone... _Hopefully, you don't mind letting me go to school on my own, do you? And can you let me be so I can eat in peace?_ " I asked sweetly, using my Siren Voice to convince her.

I watched as the life suddenly dulled in her eyes as she just nodded and said in a monotone, "Call me if you need me," before getting up and walking out the kitchen. I grinned in satisfaction.

Fun Fact: All natural mermaids have some varying ability to sing. And it doesn't matter what range it is, fully. But due to how famous it was becoming for land-people, it was forbidden to use the Siren Voice.

And when I say forbidden, I mean that the songs and singing were off-limits. Especially the Voice. Nowadays, it's spoken about in stories and rarely heard of except with rogues...

Like me, for example. And besides, it was useful when I lured Ane'lie to the cave that fateful day.

Suddenly, I heard growling from behind me. I turned to see the mangy mutt that tormented me since I took over this body.

I looked over my shoulder to see Annette still in my trance (a side-effect I still haven't worked over), I grinned mischievously as I raised my hand and, with a little more power than I intended, picked him up and threw him out the room.

I heard him hit something hard and another crash came through, leading me to suggest that I made him hit a wall and crash somewhere.

I looked again and smirked to see Annette still not paying attention.

Tonight is going to be killer.

* * *

_**At the Coves Residence...** _

**3rd POV**

Once again, the house was convinced that tonight would end very badly.

Since the following two days ago when the Coves discovered that Marana would be extremely powerful this Halloween night, everyone has been on edge. Even Brendan lost his love for the holiday due to this dark change in events.

Well, Brendan was shouting "We're screwed, we're screwed, we're screwed, we're screwed, WE ARE SCREWED!" all over the house.

That was all Brendan had said since everyone had discovered what will possibly how bad tonight was going to be. But his constant bemoaning was irritating everyone, even Laguna who was picking out a...a Halloween costume for tonight's festivities.

Not like she had a choice though.

SLAP!

Laguna raised her head to see her daughter slap her son upside the head and broke him out of his panic.

Glaring at her son for a moment, Karen turned to her mother with what she had so far.

"Alright, so let me go over this plan of yours again: You want to go to the performance tonight, ALONE, to confront Marana about whatever she plans on doing. With either two outcomes: Either she relents (which is least likely) or she attacks you and continues with her plan (highly possible yet least likely)! And overall, it's a suicide mission!" she raved.

As if Laguna didn't already know that! Karen had been so dead set against the plan her mother concocted soon after she found out what Marana was planning and spent the last two days trying to sway her away from doing it.

But, she had to get her stubbornness from someone!

"I know the risks I'm taking, Karen! But someone needs to do this and you can't be involved! For starters, it's dangerous and you can't use your powers like you used to. And before you say anything, yes, I said that before I went to see Marana in the first place and that stays the same. Secondly, I felt it was a risky-enough venture when I allowed Mr. Byrnes and Ms. Williams to be involved in this, hence I'm grateful that he managed to get me 3 tickets for the show. And no, despite it, only Jonathan is going and that's only for outside help. And most importantly, your due tonight! And unless we get lucky enough that you happen to be overdue, which is highly unlikely, putting my daughter and unborn granddaughter in the crossfire is the LAST thing I'm doing tonight!" Laguna exclaimed.

She hated when the two had arguments like this, but it was for Karen's good. From the moment she found out the news, the doctor predicted that she would be due in the Fall, but being due to anything and it being Halloween was too close to comfort.

Jonathan came into the room, must've to sense the tension between them. Much to Laguna's irony, she was surprised to see him dressed as a pirate. The only hint of amusement came from Brendan giving a half-snort.

"Karen, I know you don't like it, but you can't come," Jonathan seriously stated. Well, as serious as he could take in his costume.

"But why go there? Don't you think she will be expecting you? Hell, she might have that monster she sent after Charlotte on your tail- no pun intended!" she said fearfully.

"Hence the costumes," Laguna said, "No doubt that Marana knows that I haven't left the coast yet as she wanted, but no doubt that almost everyone there will be wearing costumes. We can blend in and hopefully, she won't notice."

Karen looked at her husband again. "And why a pirate?"

"Because he's mean and gruff enough to be one," Brendan snickered, followed by another slap from Karen.

"Look, I know this whole ordeal is less than what everyone had wanted, but we don't get the option to leave everything behind," Laguna explained, "For starters, a storm is on its way here, and if the weather reports are right, then it's one that Marana would create on her spare time. Secondly, if we are right and we leave, then that's hundreds of humans that are going to suffer from Marana's wrath and will have no idea what hit them. And thirdly...we're doing this for Charlotte."

The impact of what she said held weight in the room. They knew Laguna was right. And with Charlotte having no idea what was happening outside her body, who knew what Marana would do?

"Look, your right and I'm sorry," Karen apologized, "but can you blame me? This whole thing makes us want to grab you all, crawl into a hole, and stay there until all the world's problems were over! I know- we know something bad is going to happen and the two of the 3 members of my family going into the Devil's Party is just-just..."

Jonathan was quick to walk over and hold her in his arms. It always had a soothing effect on her, a Magic Touch, one would say, when her nerves were stretched through the roof.

Pulling away yet keeping her in his arms, he spoke "I can imagine what you must be feeling right now, but just do this for me: Trust us. In case of worse scenario, you'd need to keep a level head and get the kids out of here. I married you because I loved you and you something happens, you will know. Just try to be strong, okay?"

Karen didn't say anything but nodded, dropping her head into her chest as Laguna could hear the quiet sobs her daughter was letting out.

Once again, Laguna was reminded of why she never allowed land-people into her life, seeing as once her world brought them in, it was extremely hard to let them out.

And also, once again, she was reminded that for all she and her son-in-law fought about, he was truly the second-best thing her daughter had in the human world and one of the few that knew her so well.

And with, she promised herself that Jonathan would survive the night.

* * *

**_At Valencia High..._ **

**Marana's POV**

I arrived at the school around 10 with my costume and a bag of special ingredients in hand, having to use the Siren Voice to manipulate a drive here. Oh, I'm surprised my sister hadn't figured it out yet, but she probably just did it to fit in with these mundane activities.

Assuming that she knew how.

I used a key I stole to open the back door and continued my way towards the music room where I saw Ms. Anelies playing the piano, wearing what looked like a white swan costume. I didn't hesitate nor question the logic as I barged in.

And nearly laughed as I saw her jump up in fright.

"Alright, how many times have I told you not to barge in unannounced!?" she exclaimed, "I nearly wet myself!"

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, like that's possible."

Thankfully, no one else would be here for a while, but that left me with a lot of time to play. The _woman_ may have fooled everyone into thinking she was a kind but stern young _woman_ , but only I knew of the skittish creature she was.

"And for all you're worth, I can if I want to," I mocked. "So give me the rundown on how big this has to be!"

And straight to business as we go.

"Depends," she said cautiously, "Is Laguna gone?"

"Not by a landslide," I announced, shaking my head. I was honest enough to admit to the possession, the state of mind my sister was in, and my warning for her to back off. But I knew she was far from done and I only left her more questions than answers.

To be honest, after all these years, it all has seemed like a little game between me and her over my sister's fate during the centuries. A game of Catch Me If You Can, if you will. Between trying to best each other, trying to find Ane'lie in countless lives, and how I always win in the end...well, I honestly meant it when I gave her the outlet to save what's left of her family and run.

But she's like an oyster: It always takes a lot to get them to open up and get the treasure.

So, I did not doubt in my mind she's still here, trying to stop me, as always. It never got old yet I had a feeling things would be a lot different after this.

"We'll I saw that coming, even from the moment you told me you were meeting her!" Ms. Anelies muttered, before saying "You two have a game of Cat and Mouse where everyone outside of it always gets hurt. And Annette? I got a call from her earlier. You do intend on getting the only _likable_ mother of your sister's new life to safety, right? Have you ever used the voice on her yet?"

I heard a mocking tone at the emphasis of 'likable' and did not like it one bit. I was going to have to remind Ms. Anelies again.

I glared at her. "Yes, but rarely. Look, like I told you before: Annette is a different kind. I've only used little commands on her because, as time took with my sister, I believe any bigger command might not work on her. I do not fancy her in any way. At all. And besides, she's not the one I should be worrying about and you know it! Now tell me what I want to hear!"

I'll admit that I appeared forcefully, but I was on the clock until midnight and I didn't want any complications! Much more, her mind games

I watched the _woman_ sigh before she spoke "Roughly about a hundred people are coming to the show, and seeing as a large part of the student body is attending the dance, I'd say about 500. You think it will work over that many people?"

I grinned and slowly leaned into her. "I've killed more than that in my lifetime. Multiply that times a million and you know I'm game."

This took a lot more delicate planning than I've done all those years, centuries, ago and I had to think bigger. In this life, unlike nearly all of the others, my sister knows about Magic and everything else with it. From the moment I found her to this very day, I knew she was special.

And nothing will keep me away from her this time.

"By the way, I need to use your key to the get into the biology lab," I stated.

She didn't say anything but handed me her key. "Why?"

"Easy, I have a potion to make and I need the space," I said, getting up and starting to walk out of the room.

"Oh, which potion is this, if I may ask?" she asked.

I eyed her carefully. "The one to make a certain land-boy forget what I tell him to."

Shaking the bag of ingredients I bought in front of her, Ms. Anelies's eyes widened and nodded with understanding.

Yes, I remembered my promise to Byrnes about my answer to my sister's powers but I wasn't intent on giving him exactly what he wanted.

Rather the opposite.

"Hey, what about your costume?" I heard her ask from behind me.

"Keep it until we're ready. I need my eyes off it for now. And get my makeup ready too! Presently, I'm on a mission and quick relief," I called out, leaving her behind me and heading off to the science lab. To my fortune, I'm thankful that was the place that held all I needed.

* * *

As I was setting up the ingredients and got the metal pot boiling with my powers (since I don't exactly know or understand the purpose of a back burner and the pot was the closest thing I could find to a cauldron) I decided to check up on Ane'lie once more.

I needed her in high spirits and an active participant for what I have planned for us tonight.

* * *

**Charlotte's POV**

_I just love swimming!_

_After I met up with Emma and Rikki (and got chewed out by Rikki for being late), I noticed that Cleo wasn't with them and asked where she was._

_"She's getting the moon pool ready for tonight, so she told us to tell you to stay away. At least for a few hours. And Lewis already told us you two planned to go on a little rendezvous on Mako anyways. So just to be clear: Hang out about Mako but nowhere near the pool. Can we trust you to stay out of trouble?" Rikki asked, making fun of me with my statement from before._

_This time, I growled while Emma laughed._

_After that, they said they'd come and get me when it was time and I was off into the water in no time._

_I was eager to rush and see Lewis while a part of me was tempted to see what Cleo was doing. But I made a promise and I was eager to wait it out._

_So, I just swam calmly through the ocean, taking in the sights right before me. God, I hope this never gets old!_

_But eventually, I just had to stop and float there. Things were great for life with me so far. But I was still haunted by Gracie's words._

_By technically-speaking, her words meant that reality wasn't real. But how was that possible? I can talk, breathe, taste, touch, and feel. So, I was real, right?_

_But something in that meaning held more value than I originally thought. Like it was more real than figurative. Like I had finished putting the pieces together in a jigsaw puzzle but had to take a few steps back to see the big, real, ACTUAL picture!_

_Her words shook me to the core, to be honest, and it kept me thinking that something was about to happen._

_Something bad._

_But before I could continue to ponder more, a large current pushed threw me off and caught me off guard._

_I shook my head. What was I doing? I needed to head to Mako!_

_I swam up to the surface to see how far off course I was and imagine my surprise to find myself at Mako Island. I saw Lewis at the beach waving at me with a picnic basket in hand._

_I smiled and was about to wave back when I felt a drop of water fall on me. I looked up and saw grew, cloudy skies about me with a few more droplets coming down._

_Oh great._

_I looked back at Lewis to tell him there's no way we could have a date in this weather when I saw he had an umbrella in his hand._

_Wait? He didn't have that before._


	48. The Storm-Part 2

_**Previously...** _

_(Charlotte)_

_I woke up this morning to the sun shining brightly on my face and the ringing of my phone blaring against my ear._

_Yes, that must be Rikki calling. Or Emma. Hard to tell sometimes._

_..._

_" Hold it!" I heard Emma's voice call out, "Forgive Rikki for getting you started, but there's no emergency except for Happy Anniversary!"_

...

_"Yeah, I'm coming! And- hold up, I'm getting another call," I stated as I saw Lewis calling on my Caller ID._

_I put them on hold and answered "Happy Anniversary, Lewis!"_

...

_To be honest, I'm quite proud of who I turned out to be. I have great friends, a loving boyfriend, an amazing mom, and the best secret a girl could have._

_What could go wrong?_

_(Marana)_

_I pulled myself from the mindscape my sister was in and smiled._

_Today was the big day and if all goes well, me and Ane'lie should be smooth sailing from there._

_I woke up this morning and decided to check on my dear little sister and decided to add a few little things to her mind. Though I gave everyone there free reign, if I suspected that someone wasn't doing their part, I'd nudge them in the right direction._

_..._

_"You know what, I'll just catch a ride with someone... Hopefully, you don't mind letting me go to school on my own, do you? And can you let me be so I can eat in peace?" I asked sweetly, using my Siren Voice to convince her._

_I watched as the life suddenly dulled in her eyes as she just nodded and said in a monotone, "Call me if you need me," before getting up and walking out the kitchen. I grinned in satisfaction._

_Fun Fact: All natural mermaids have some varying ability to sing. And it doesn't matter what range it is, fully. But due to how famous it was becoming for land-people, it was forbidden to use the Siren Voice._

...

_(3rd POV)_

_Once again, the house was convinced that tonight would end very badly._

_Since the following two days ago when the Coves discovered that Marana would be extremely powerful this Halloween night, everyone has been on edge. Even Brendan lost his love for the holiday due to this dark change in events._

...

_"Alright, so let me go over this plan of yours again: You want to go to the performance tonight, ALONE, to confront Marana about whatever she plans on doing. With either two outcomes: Either she relents (which is least likely) or she attacks you and continues with her plan (highly possible yet least likely)! And overall, it's a suicide mission!" she raved._

...

_(Charlotte)_

Her words shook me to the core, to be honest, and it kept me thinking that something was about to happen.

Something bad.

* * *

**_At Valencia High, Halloween, Opening Night..._ **

**Marana's POV**

After what took a surprisingly short hour of brewing and lacing the finishing touches, I poured the contents of my potion into a thermos cup and headed my way back to the auditorium.

Not surprisingly, I spotted people already walking into the school. Some of the students were lingering in their ridiculous costumes (and don't get me started on the fairies! That's more insulting than my existence altogether!) and some in their regular clothes.

Some had eyed me as I was walking by them, but I ignored them and the whispers behind me. I knew Ane'lie would through a fit if she were to find out what chaos I'd made under her name, but it's not like that would matter.

They wouldn't even be here anyway.

And speaking of unwanted people...

I turned and saw Alaine Williams in a nearly-good looking light...nearly.

Her hair was in tight curls with blondish highlights popping out. She was wearing a tight, blue blouse under a black leather jacket following black, shiny stretch pants along with black heels. Her makeup made her more noticeable and...

She saw me staring and I doomed myself from the start as she walked over towards me.

"And you are...?" I asked curiously.

"Tina Turner...well, I modified her look a bit, but I'm here. What do you think?" she asked, twirling around.

"I don't know. Why don't you ask your mother?" I asked back. This time, she glared, but not like she was mad at the answer.

Almost like she was determined. But for what, I didn't care to know.

"She doesn't matter. Besides, she dressed for work than for a party and I think that's her way of saying she's wearing a costume," Alaine snorted, "besides, she's not the one performing tonight. I am! Anyways, what exactly are you performing? You never really did at rehearsals but made up for with one-on-one time with Ms. Anelies."

"I wanted it to be a surprise and it was the only way to go without being taken off of the roster. And now, I have to go. I hear that all the seats are going to be quite...flooded by the time the show starts," I smirked as I walked away from her feeling quite prideful of myself yet worried.

I don't like her, but I had a feeling I'd be on constant watch for my sister tonight.

And just when I thought I might have had one _slight_ issue this evening, I saw a familiar chef's outfit along with a familiar face standing in the crowd.

 _Annette_.

Another thing that I have to worry about...but then again, I never really cared _**much**_ for her anyway.

Walking over to her, I put up a fake smile which was returned with a genuine one.

"Mom..." I trailed, trying to put as much care as I could in that tone.

"Hi, Sweetie!" she said excitedly, grabbing my cheeks and kissing them, "Where's your costume?"

"Oh, I have it, I just needed to do something right quick," I stated. "I didn't think you would make it until later."

"No, I booked out early, besides, I also heard from a little bird that Alaine was here and I-"

"Was hoping that she and I made up," I finished stoically. Yep, another thing I didn't like about this woman.

"Can't blame me for trying," she pouted.

"No, maybe not, but it won't happen," I explained, in deep thoughts, "because after tonight...things will never be the same?"

Annette frowned in confusion. "And what is that supposed to mean?"

Shaking my head and putting on a fake smile. "It's nothing you would understand. But be my guest, go see her if you'd want. I have a feeling you'd both be needing it."

Muttering that last part, I slipped away before she could press me more and headed into Ms. Anelies office behind the stage to change.

I can't get distracted now.

* * *

**Laguna's POV**

The moment Jonathan parked the van in the school's parking lot, I was nearly tempted to tell him to ignite the car and drive us far away as possible.

And it's not normal for me to feel all jittery and jumpy like this, but if magic had a pulse, I was feeling it all over my body tonight and I could feel the Full Moon rising any second now.

Halloween, oh what a worse night this could be.

Looking down at my costume, I couldn't feel more ridiculous! I mean, I was dressed as a medieval peasant with a long cloak. To be honest, I feel more like a beggar, which is funny considering I might just be doing...

"Stop that," a harsh voice startled me out of my thoughts. I looked to see Jonathan had opened the car door, looking at me.

"Stop what?"

"Stop doubting yourself," he stated, "we know what we are possibly walking right into and if you don't have a clear head on your shoulders, everything will go wrong. So get your head in the game or watch multiple people get hurt."

"Easy for you to say," I snorted begrudgingly as I got out the car. I scanned the area and was starting the fill the dread all over me as I saw hundreds of civilian lives entering the building, from parents, teens to young children brought along for the ride.

"There's no way we can get all those people out of here," I stated.

"Didn't you think that last time?" he whispered in my ear, "The whole point of natural disasters is that you can't save everyone. Marana has exploited that to you for years. But at the moment, you aren't saving a hundred people. Just one."

Charlotte.

Nodding, Jonathan escorted me into the where the auditorium was.

Looking up at the sky, it was easy to tell that the Cumulonimbus clouds were forming above the area. They'd been forming since before the drive from Malibu. There was a vast amount of water vapor in the air and the humidity was another thing that I noticed would be accompanying this unnatural weather tonight.

It was going to be a night.

Once inside, we started to split up after we paid for our tickets. Jonathan went to see when Marana would be performing while I snuck backstage to find the imposter herself.

Thankfully, with stealth and the rush to get ready, it was easy enough to sneak behind the stage as all the other teenagers rehearsing and putting on their costumes. Seriously, I almost feel bad in case one of them makes it into the entertainment industry.

* * *

**Marana's POV**

I was finishing putting on my costume when I heard a knock on my door. Ms. Anelies allowed me quick access to her office to change, plus I had no interest in changing my clothes in front of land dwellers.

_KNOCK!_

_KNOCK!_

_KNOCK!_

Placing in my last hairpiece, I steadily walked towards the door and opened it. Making a smile on my sister's face, it was just the person I wanted to see.

Riley Byrnes was dressed in a V-neck, dark pants, and slacks, but he had an ID pass in verification that he was allowed to be here. And in his hand were red roses.

And I wasn't any less pleased to see him admiring my costume.

"W-wow...WOW! Charlie, you look amazing!" he exclaimed before realizing he had the bouquet in his hands and handing them to me, "I-I got these for you! I mean, you never really said what types of flowers you like, so I had to go with the most cliche one for the occasion."

Taking them from his hands, I made a mental note to secure these for my sister. Lewis still has not been up to par with his role...as much as I'd like.

"Why, thank you..." I trailed, finding the right words, "they're lovely. Why don't you come in?"

Byrnes shook his head. "No, I don't think that's a good idea. I mean, it wouldn't be appropriate and..."

Before he could continue rambling, I grabbed him by the front of his shirt and dragged him in.

"Don't worry about me seducing you," I stated, "if I wanted to, you would have known long before now."

I smirked at the flustered look that formed on his face, and couldn't help but think that perhaps my sister did find a good male recipient of the male genes. In another life, I wouldn't mind taking it a _bit_ further.

But alas, it was not meant to be.

Going behind the desk and pulling out two plastic cups, I sat them down before opening the cup which held the purple potion I made earlier and pouring it into both of them. Grabbing them, I picked them up and offered one to Byrnes, which he eventually accepted.

"It's not alcohol if that's what you're wondering," I said.

Byrnes shook his head again. "No, I wasn't thinking that, but then again, you don't seem like the type. So...this is new. What is it?"

"Well," I started to lie, "just because I no longer work for Laguna anymore doesn't mean that I didn't pick up a thing or 2 while I was with her. Plus, Halloween was coming up and I wanted to see if I could make a...sea witch cocktail as I saw on the Internet. So far, I got the appearance right. Wanna be my official taste tester?"

Byrnes nodded and I watched him sniff the potion before taking a sip. And unlike the human eye, I taste was enough for the spell to kick in.

"WHOO!" he exclaimed, no doubt feeling the little 'kick' I added, "wow, that is something! What did you put in this? Ecstasy?"

I snorted. "I don't do drugs either, you moron, but I did add cinnamon."

I couldn't help but roll my eyes. Human drugs were far less addicting than everyone gives them credit for.

And I did add cinnamon, but only a pinch.

He started to fan himself with his hand, his flustered face looking a little hotter, almost to a deep blush. Alright, maybe I did add a tad too much of algae.

"Anyways, I'm glad you're here because I believe I do owe you some answers," I said. Time to get this over and done with.

He gave me a perplexed look on his face, still fanning himself. "Answers...YES! ANSWERS! The answers are good! So, are you a mutant or not?"

I laughed. I took the time to see what he was talking about and, dare I say it, actually liked the franchise. However, I'd be doing him a favor by being honest for once.

"No, no-no. Not a mutant," I clarified.

He sighed in relief, though his face was now looking a shade darker. Thankfully, it will be over by midnight...if he lived long enough.

"Oh, great. Honestly, I wanted to know, that's all. You know, just in case-"

"I'm a mermaid."

* * *

**Laguna's POV**

I finally found my way around the stage, asking as a 'relative' if they'd seen 'Charlotte' because she forgot something she needed for her costume. Fortunately, they confirmed that Marana was indeed here, but unfortunately, they could not confirm where she was.

I was now making my way past an office when the door opened in front of me and Riley Byrnes walked out of the room...

Only he was not himself.

His face was all flustered and he looked more bothered, which you wouldn't be able to tell due to how his eyes looked glazed over and his face looked all spaced out as if he was in a daze.

He didn't say anything to me and just walked by and headed out into the madness that was the backstage of the showcase.

Looking in the room, I found the mermaid I was looking for.

Marana had dressed Charlotte as, much to my irony, a sea witch. She had dark green and black highlights in her hair and the same can be said for mascara and makeup. She had painted-on gills on her neck and had her hair done in a bun being held by seashells with a crown on top.

And as for the costume, it seemed as if she found various fishnets and dyed them black to have them cover a dark green dress that looked as if it was ripped apart and sewn together as a shirt as well a long, black, torn skirt to go with it, almost as if to look as if she had been through a storm. Dark purple paint went down her arms in the appearance of scales and she wore fishnet gloves to finish it off with dark boots.

But all accessories aside, as beautiful as it looked on her, it was the embodiment of what Marana was.

"What did you do to him!?" I seethed as I stalked towards her, closing the door behind me. She rolled her eyes.

"Oh, don't worry, he'll be fine. He'll just be in a dream-like state and will sleep it off when he gets home. Well, _if_ he gets home, that is," she stated casually. As if possibly destroying someone's mind was normal.

But then again, all the emotional turmoil she's been putting Charlotte through might as well be a dip in the ocean for her!

"So...like my costume?" she asked, twirling around.

"Fitting for a witch," I stated with my hands folded, "what did you do to him?"

She gave me a look in mock surprise. "Oh, _that_? I just had some...well, Ane'lie had a very bad day and left quite a mess for me to fix. Thankfully, half the party didn't remember but, as you see, I needed to put that little business aside."

I nearly growled at her but held it in.

"And...did I not warn you to get as far from here as you could get?" she asked accusingly.

I snorted. "Since when was I the type to listen? So tell me, I know you're creating a storm out here tonight, and I know you can feel the Full Moon rising."

"Aw, and you think that I would just tell you everything," Marana smiled sadistically, "Why isn't that just _**pathetic**_! You know, Ane'lie said that a year ago to a naive land-girl and honestly, she still hasn't learned her lesson. And neither have you!"

And before I could react, Marana raised her hand and shot me against the wall, holding me there. I saw her turn Charlotte's brown eyes into a dangerous dark blue hue and I knew I was in trouble.

"I will tell you one more time," Marana screamed, " ** _BACK OFF!_** "

And with that, she raised her hand, opening the door, and threw me out. I landed hard on my back and felt a throbbing in my head that suggested I had a mild concussion.

Looking up, Marana glared at me through Charlotte's facial expressions and said "Looks like this is our last time together. But if you do wanna stay...Enjoy the show. And be sure to tell your son-in-law I said Hello."

And with a wave of her hand, she slammed the door shut and locked it.

I quickly got up and rushed away, finding Jonathan standing at the doorway of the auditorium, looking at me in relief.

"Oh, there you are!" he exclaimed, "I've been looking all over for-"

"Now is not the time!" I interrupted, "We can't leave! Marana plans on doing something here, tonight-"

"Yeah, we know that!"

" _With_ the Siren's Voice!" I stated. there was silence between us, despite all the constant chatter from those around us.

"You can't be serious?" he asked.

I shook my head. I should have figured it out sooner, really, but now it made more sense. The show, her costume, why she wanted to hold off her storm until the night, and with the addition of the Full Moon...

Oh, I am such a fool!

"Her powers are heightened tonight. And with that aside, I had suspected that for a while, she might have had it, Charlotte, but now I'm more than sure..." I rambled, trying to get my words into a sentence.

Suddenly, Jonathan grasped me by the shoulders and led me to an empty hall.

"Speak. Now," he said, letting me go.

I took a deep breath. It would be a long explanation.

* * *

"Ladies and Gentlemen! Parents and Students! Welcome to Valencia High's Annual Halloween Performance!" a lady that appeared to be the music teacher said from the stage.

Nervously, I and Jonathan had taken seats in the middle of the audience, roughly 500 to my horror, as the show started. And it didn't help that the doors were locked from the moment everyone entered, including us.

Guess this is exactly the bad news that Karen was nervous about us getting into.

"I already spotted Charlotte's mother in the crowd," Jonathan whispered as he talked.

I turned my head to him. "What?"

He pointed down a few rows and I immediately recognized the woman that gave birth to Ane'lie's current life. And it looked like she wore her uniform as a costume.

"She's evil," I moaned quietly. Of course, Marana wasn't going to be stupid enough to spare her in this aftermath.

"Want to move a bit closer?" he asked me.

I shook my head. "No, you do it. Worst case scenario: Get Annette out of here!"

"And where will you be?"

"Doing what I do best: Damage control," I stated, eventually listening to the teacher announces the first act.

* * *

**Charlotte's POV**

_Lewis had picked a grassy area on the island for the picnic. It was perfect actually. You had the perfect view of the ocean and, the mainland if you looked closely enough._

_The night sky was already above us, but so was the dark clouds that I saw earlier. Thankfully. Lewis put the umbrella up for just in case._

_I had asked him where it came from, and he told me he heard about a possible light rain shower tonight, which prompted him to bring it with him._

_Can I just say how much I love this guy!?_

_He took me up to the very spot where we sat and was intrigued when he turned into a miniature candlelight dinner on the red blanket. And then he brought out a radio, which was to lighten the mood._

_As if the mood wasn't anymore romantic!_

_We just sat there and talked, mostly about our crazy lives, such as when I and the girls accidentally use powers and nearly get exposed..and how Lewis always got the burnt from it (and sometimes literally from me and Rikki!)_

_And then we talked about the mundane things in life, like school, parents...our futures. I know not many people find futures as a pure artist/painter, but maybe I could find one on my field that I liked._

_"Well, you can be an art teacher. I mean, we could both be educators!" Lewis stated._

_I laughed. "Oh really? Is this before or after you become a marine biologist?"_

_"Well look at you and the others. 2 years ago, we were supposed to see Emma in preparation for swimming in the Summer Olympics of 2012. Rikki obviously will be in some job profession with dollar bills, and considering how she loves being a mermaid, ocean-based. And that leaves Cleo-"_

_"-knowing she'll most likely be working with sea animals for the rest of her life," I finished, "but where am I? In the end, I feel just as lost as when I came to this new school a year and was trying to find my place in the group. I feel alone sometimes."_

_I looked down. I can already tell that I was doing a horrible job and was bring down this entire night._

_Suddenly, I felt Lewis grasp my hand and raise my head as he pulled me into a sweet kiss. I melted into it instantly._

_As we pulled away, Lewis stared me straight into my eyes "Char, no matter what happens a year from now or 10 years from now, you won't ever be alone. You have your mom, the girls...and me."_

_At that moment, I nearly wept. A few tears went down my cheeks and I laughed embarrassingly as I wiped them away._

_"Oh god, I'm sorry," I laughed, "I just feel so stupid. This is supposed to be a romantic date and I'm ruining it."_

_He laughed and wiped some of my tears away as he gazed at me loving._

_"There's nothing wrong about being unsure about the future," Lewis said, "in fact, I'm glad you got it out of your system. I'm glad you opened up to me about this. I have something for you."_

_Feeling a little giddy, I watched as he reached into the picnic basket to get something when I turned up the radio._

_" **Alright people, it's Saturday Night and I know you and your friends are going to be hitting the dance clubs tonight. But whether you're out and about or just chilling at home, I have a hit from the One and Only, Brandy, from her album 'Human', listen to her hit single," Right Here!"**_

* * *

**3rd POV**

"And welcoming to the stage, with a few words for herself, is Ms. Alaine Williams," Ms. Anelies announces, as Alaine Williams walked onto the stage, pulling a strut as she grasped the microphone from her teacher as she left.

Marana couldn't help but be curious at what the land-girl was up to, but she was determined to leave as soon as possible once she said whatever she had to say.

"Um, hi everyone," Alaine started, "I know that you guys know me as the co-captain Lady Vikings, the Aretha Franklin of the school choir, friends to many. But If I was being honest to myself...I am the most horrible person in the room right now."

There was a murmuring in the crowd. Laguna and Jonathan, as well as Annette, sat up in their seat as these words were spoken.

"At the beginning of this year, I met this girl on the school bus and treated her horribly after I found out she was a Senior. I know, right? Why would it matter?," she asked the crowd rhetorically, "Well, it mattered to me because I had had a horrible summer and my friends were acting like strangers to me already. So, I said hurtful things to her. Said and done mean things to her when she always kind towards me. Eventually, I apologize for that, and when I was friendless, she chose to become my friend. Only to become my sister in the end."

There was an 'Awe' that came from the audience.

"And how do I repay her after she welcomed me into her home and practically shared her mother with me?" she exclaimed, "I betrayed her. Because I wasn't strong enough to face up to my demons, I revert to the girl on Day 1, only worse. I went back to my fake friends, pushed her down, intimidated her, and said some God-awful things that I know I can never take back. And after trying countless times to bring me back, I hurt her so, so much. And I learned quickly that everyone has their limits and I helped cause her to become like me. And it wasn't to prove a point, but because she was DONE with me! Her turning into the horrible person that she was before we met was what brought me back to life. I don't know any way I can say this but..."

Alaine turned to Charlotte, who, unbeknownst to her, was not her real friend.

"I am so, so, sorry," Alaine announced.

Suddenly, music started to play in the background. It was an R&B vibe to it, along with a Hip Hop beat.

_When you feel y_ _our heart's guarded_   
_And you see t_ _he break started_

_When the clouds h_ _ave all departed_   
_You'll be right h_ _ere with me_

_Ally Wills_

_Yeah_

_You'll be right h_ _ere with me_

_Oh-oh (x16)_

_You'll be right h_ _ere with me_

_When you're life i_ _s going too fast o_ _ff the train tracks_   
_I can slow it down_

_Just when you think y_ _ou bout to turn back_   
_Scared you might crash I_ _'ll be your ground_

_When you feel y_ _our heart's guarded_   
_And you see t_ _he break started_   
_When the clouds h_ _ave all departed_   
_You'll be right h_ _ere with me_   
_When your tears h_ _ave dried from cryin'_   
_And the world h_ _as turned to silent_   
_When the clouds h_ _ave all departed_   
_You'll be right h_ _ere with me_

_I'll be right h_ _ere with you_   
_You'll be right h_ _ere with me_

_I'll be right h_ _ere with you_   
_You'll be right h_ _ere with me_

* * *

So far the crowd was loving it. Alaine was, and maybe literally, putting her heart and soul into the music as she sang. Capturing their attention, even that 2 particular people in the audience forgot their true purpose for being there.

And my luck may have it, someone else was listening too.

* * *

** _When you're so trapped_ **   
** _And there's just no key_ **   
** _And you can't breathe_ **   
** _I'll breathe for you_ **

** _The fire's got you down o_ _n both knees_ **   
** _And the walls a_ _re closing i_ _n_ **

** _But I'll_ _be_ **   
** _Breakin' through_ **

** _And when you feel alone_ **   
** _I'mma be ya home_ **   
** _When others come and go_ **   
** _Ya know I got you_ **

** _When you feel y_ _our heart's guarded_ **   
** _And you see t_ _he break started_ **   
** _When the clouds h_ _ave all departed_ **   
** _You'll be right h_ _ere with me_ **   
** _When your tears h_ _ave dried from cryin'_ **   
** _And the world h_ _as turned to silent_ **   
** _When the clouds h_ _ave all departed_ **   
** _You'll be right h_ _ere with me_ **

* * *

_Suddenly, I feel a wave-no, a tsunami, of emotions hit me and feels all over my body. It wasn't like the feeling of dread and being watched._

_No, this was different._

_This was a sense of...belonging, love, trust, laughter, silliness, petty arguments, adventure, joy, happiness, late-night talks, singing, curiosity, secrets, sadness, anger and overall, fun all wrapped together into one big giant ball of emotions that made me feel like I was standing afternoon rain with the sun shining all over me and I just couldn't get enough!_

* * *

**_I will be there r_ _ight beside_ **   
**_You every step y_ _ou take_ **

**_I will be y_ _our strength_ **   
**_Your shelter_ **   
**_Shield you f_ _rom the rain_ **

**_When you feel!_ **

**_When you feel y_ _our heart's guarded_ **   
**_And you see t_ _he break started_ **   
**_When the clouds h_ _ave all departed_ **   
**_You'll be right h_ _ere with me_ **   
**_When your tears h_ _ave dried from cryin'_ **   
**_And the world h_ _as turned to silent_ **   
**_When the clouds h_ _ave all departed_ **   
**_You'll be right h_ _ere with me_ **

* * *

_Suddenly, images floated through my head as the lyrics harmonized like the waves of the ocean I frequently swam in._

_It starts with the face of a Black girl sitting beside me, then goes to a look of disgust before walking away. Then it goes to distrust to looks of disguised looks of pity to full-on guilt. Scenes start to become more joyous and happier, such as laughing together on the beach or talking quietly in a bedroom. I sometimes feel annoyance and she just laughs and I couldn't help but smile with her. Other times, the tables are turned and I'm the one making her laugh._

_But then, there are heartbreaking scenes with tears running down our cheeks or our faces flushed with anger as we glare at each other before one of us walks away._

_However, it goes back to us whispering into each other's ears and giggling, talking about whatever, to throwing pillows at each other just for the kicks of feeling goofy._

_What was this? Why do I feel the way I do?_

* * *

_When you feel y_ _our heart's guarded_   
_And you see t_ _he break started_   
_When the clouds h_ _ave all departed_   
_You'll be right h_ _ere with me_   
_When your tears h_ _ave dried from cryin'_   
_And the world h_ _as turned to silent_   
_When the clouds h_ _ave all departed_   
_You'll be right h_ _ere with me_

_I'll be right h_ _ere with you_   
_You'll be right h_ _ere with me_

_I'll be right h_ _ere with you_   
_You'll be right h_ _ere with me_

* * *

The crowd started giving a Standing Ovation before Alaine even started finishing the verse. To anyone else, it would have been all the best feelings mashed up in one to have such thundering applause.

But to Alaine, it was nothing. She was singing to apologize to the girl who was practically her sister and would do anything for it.

And as for Marana, who had found herself stuck and unable to move throughout the whole thing, she was now experiencing a massive headache that might be her undoing.

* * *

**_I'll be right h_ _ere with you_ **   
**_You'll be right h_ _ere with me_ **

**_I'll be right h_ ** **_ere with you_ **   
**_You'll be right h_ ** **_ere with me_ **

**_Yeah_ **

_'Charlotte...Charlotte...CHARLOTTE!"_

_I jumped as I was brought back from my mesmerizing, intensive listening to the song. I started up to see Lewis looking frantic at me, one hand holding my shoulder._

_Then, he sighed in relief._

_"Char, you have GOT to stop scaring me like that!" he exclaimed, "I am too young to be having heart attacks."_

_I shook my head to get my mind straight. "Sorry about that. I was just listening to Alaine singing and-"_

_"Who?" he asked, giving me a perplexed look._

_"Alaine," I stated._

_"Char, the person on the radio was a singer named Brandy. Who's Alaine," he asked._

_When I realized my slip of the tongue, I tried to rack my brain around as to where I could have heard that name before._

_But I shook my head. "No, maybe I heard it in passing somewhere and it got stuck."_

_Shrugging, Lewis handed me a rectangular jewelry box, which I gasped in surprise to see what it was._

_My grandmother's locket._

_"LEWIS!" I exclaimed. To be honest, despite how I felt about it, I had long resigned to just getting a similar one with a purple or green jewel in it. I didn't think Cleo would give it up so easily._

_"Well actually, she's been debating on this for a while," Lewis answered as if he read my mind, "And she felt that she's should be getting the purple one since that's more of her color."_

_I gave him a look, not believing that._

_"I'm serious!" he raised his hands in defense, "She gave it to me! And considering she wanted me to give it to you as a gift, and you can't take back gifts, she wanted you to have it. Let me put it on you."_

_He took the box and stepped behind me. I gulped as I felt the cool metal being laid on my chest and I brought my hand up to touch it. I should feel happy, ecstatic even..._

_So why did I feel an agonizing want and that my heart was ripped up in two?_


	49. The Storm-Part 3

**Thomas's POV (written in 3rd person and before Annette leaves)**

He didn't like a lot of things.

He didn't like his old owner.

He didn't like being underfed.

And he most certainly didn't like strangers where he could practically smell the malintent from miles away.

Nevertheless, there were things he did like.

He liked that it took one good person to fix his life.

He liked that he got delicious food scraps (something he looks forward to when it's dinner time.)

He liked fresh walks throughout the neighborhood.

He liked his owner's circle of friends.

And above all, he liked to protect his owner altogether.

So there was nothing he loved and hated all together:

First off, he loved his owner, for a feeling of gratitude and friendship. Even though she resembled a fish most of the time, he loved her.

Secondly, he hated the monster masquerading in her skin.

" _ **This is ABC7 advised, reporting live from Los Angeles, this is Blake Jones reporting**_ ," the TV station reported from the living room. I lifted my head to the couch and barked as my owner's mother came rushing in, " _ **This is Blake Jones here, and as you can see, we are experiencing heavy rain and thunderclouds. So it is extremely advised that you stay inside your homes tonight and keep on watch as the State is issuing a Level 3 storm warning. Please stay up to date until further notice.**_ "

"What!?" Annette rushed in, a phone to her shoulder as she was changing out of her work shoes and still in her uniform. "No, I can't just leave my house! My daughter's recital is in...like 30 minutes. Look, I don't know if she's already performed or if I missed it or...Well fine then, if two can play it, I will quit! Yes, I see that storm warning and that's all the more reason to get to her..."

He growled at the thought of her going out there, especially since that he could hear the pounding of the rain against the roof and the harsh winds thrashing outside the house.

Immediately, he started barking at Annette, blocking the front door as she made her way towards it.

WOOF!

WOOF!

WOOF!

She groaned. "Look, Thomas, I don't have time for this! I need to meet Charlotte in...now 20 minutes. So can you please move?"

Normally Thomas wouldn't have mind as he was tried to be as respectful as he could be. But his owner's mother had no idea what type of danger she would be heading towards if he let her through.

WOOF!

WOOF!

WOOF!

WOOF!

WOOF!

WOOF!

For the next few minutes, Annette tried to sidestep him or bribe him with treats to stop his behavior. But eventually, she resigned to the last resort.

Grabbing her keys, she bolted to the screen door and into the backyard, locking said screen from the other side.

Growling, Thomas banged and threw himself against the screen as he heard a car engine start in the driveway and began pulling out. Realizing it quickly, Thomas carefully pressed this paw against the latch and pushed it up, causing it to unlock.

Then, he walked to the other side the latch and, on his hind legs, pushed the screen door open, where he was quickly hit with harsh winds and rain pellets.

Rushing into the backyard, he saw that Annette forgot to lock the gate and bolted out onto the streets.

He just hoped he could make it in time.

* * *

**Laguna's POV**

It was a wonder how well Marana played her part in retaining a young schoolgirl. Though I knew Marana was doing Hell on Charlotte's human life, most likely so that she had nothing to be attached to, she was as good as an actress as they come.

But I felt a surge in my chest. When Ms. Williams performed, I felt a strong pulse rush through me.

Being as old as I am, I could tell when a spell or curse was broken. Or was at least close to being broken.

I do not doubt in my mind that, somewhere in Charlotte's mind, Alaine's apology reached out to her and must have made an important impact. The one thing I always adored in this land was how fierce and strong a bond between friends could be.

Ironically, I found it funny about the situation in Australia. I learned from Charlotte, indirectly, that someone told those girls there could only be 3 mermaids. I honestly suspect it must have been the remaining member of the group Charlotte's grandmother was a part of.

And honestly, how stupid was that woman to even said that!? I had ranted about this before, but Karen told me not all part-time mermaids -if there were anymore- was aware the "real deals" existed. Perhaps, fifty years ago, had the group known that the strength in numbers didn't have to be just 3, then those girls may have had better luck accepting Charlotte and she would have avoided going off the bender as she had.

But she had, and those girls, though inadvertently, led Marana straight to her.

All because they didn't know better.

Shaking my head, I refocused my mind off that topic and back on the performance in front of me while Jonathan kept an eye on Charlotte's mother.

Much to my not-so-surprise, Marana was doing a good job at playing the schoolgirl, but I knew for a fact that the only reason she's even making Charlotte seem terrible was that she was trying to break all her attachments to the land. Friends, loves, family- not always in that order, but those main three.

After watching one more girl leave the stage, I knew that soon enough it would be Marana's turn and knew it would be time to start my Plan B.

Three more acts before Marana comes on, and as much as I would hope that she'd wake up by that time, the likeliness of that would be as if there was a Deux de machine- a godsent miracle.

* * *

_**Charlotte's POV** _

_"Are you sure you're ok?" Lewis asked as we finished cleaning up the dinner we had._

_And to be honest, I wasn't. After saying that name, Alaine, it just felt right and bothered me immensely how one name could push me through an emotional rollercoaster in just one song._

_But Lewis, God Bless Him, seemed a little concerned and did most of the talking for the rest of the evening. So when it was time to head to the moon pool, he at least gave me a generous distraction._

_"Lewis, you ask me one more time, but my answer will stay the same: I. Am. Fine. Now hurry up before the girls think we're snogging!" I snapped._

_He jumped at my tone, causing me to regret my actions until he laughed. No offense._

_"Snogging?" he asked hilariously, "Is that the best you can come up with?"_

_I laughed with him, now realizing exactly what I just said. "I'm so sorry about that. It was the first thing that popped into my mind."_

_"So, do you want to? he asked._

_"Want to what?"_

_"Want to snog?" he asked casually, trying to keep a straight face but the corners of his mouth keep moving upward._

_At this, I burst out laughing so hard that I had to wrap my arms around my waist to stop the pain on my intestines and felt tears falling down my face._

_"R-really?" I heaved, "I-is that the best y-you can c-come up with!?"_

_I still ended up laughing my was off and though I could hear Lewis snickering, I could tell that he was serious._

_"God, and you once again reaffirm why I'm in love with you," I said, once I calmed down."Snogging came come if you behave."_

_He just smiled and shook his head again._

_And, also, once again, he avoided the "L" word. Was it just that hard to say?_

_Sighing in contempt, I just walked passed him and headed in the direction of the cave. I heard Lewis walk up behind me._

_"Wait! Charlotte!" he called before stopping me, "What's wrong?"_

_I looked up at him. "What's wrong? I'll tell you what's wrong! What's wrong is that you still haven't told me that you loved me!"_

_"Char, is that why you're upset?" he asked, his tone lightning at the source of the problem._

_"What do you think!? Look, I get it. We didn't exactly start smooth sailing, but that doesn't excuse the fact that we've been through a lot, together and apart!" I exclaimed. "But that doesn't excuse the fact that I have told you that I loved you more times than I could count! At first, I thought maybe you just weren't sure how to say it, because you had to work out if you ever wanted to be with me. Then, I figured that you just couldn't say it in words, so you let your actions dictate it for you. Now, I am completely convinced that I just wasted my time because you don't feel the same way!_

_And I don't appreciate my feelings being non-recipient."_

_Seeing the gobsmacked look on his face, I shook my head and walked away. Leaving him to deal with his issues and me wondering if we just broke up._

* * *

**Marana's POV**

I gritted my teeth in anger.

Just as I thought: Williams' song did start waking her up. Or, at least, wake up the side of her that has self-worth.

Part of keeping Ane'lie in the past is that she never sought out self-control. And by Alaine's intervention, the part of my sister's current personality is starting to synch in with the mindscape...

And I can't have that!

* * *

_**Charlotte's POV** _

_"CHARLOTTE WATSFORD!"_

_I halt in my steps and look behind me. And nearly felt guilty._

_Lewis had a desperate look writing all over his face. His body was stiff, eyes were filled with remorse and guilt, and his lips were moving incoherently in a way that I couldn't read them._

_"Charlotte, look at me," he stated._

_I kept my head downing shame._

_"Charlotte..." he repeated._

_Nothing came out._

_Hearing his footsteps come closer to me, I felt Lewis's hands grasp my face and lift my head. I looked directly into his blue eyes and was taken back by how strong the emotion was._

_"I am so sorry I made you feel that way," Lewis apologized. "It wasn't my intention to hurt you or make you feel like I didn't don't feel more for you than I did with Cleo. Yes, it was a combination of your two points, but the main reason I couldn't say it was because...It was because I wanted to wait until the perfect time to tell you. Yeah, I know that's a sucky excuse coming from me but I felt that you deserved better than for it to be thrown out on a whim."_

_I felt tears running down my face. He was right: That is a sucky excuse, but at least he had well intentions._

_"Lewis, as much as I know it could get me in trouble, I wear my heart on my sleeve for a reason. Do I love romantic gestures? Definitely. But holding out on me like that just drove me crazy. I know I should have talked to you about this earlier, but I didn't want to ruin anything," I expressed, finally lifting the weight off my shoulders._

_"Don't. I understand. I should have half expected this after the first time you told me you loved me," he stated, "I wanted to tell you then, but it still didn't feel right."_

_"You're not going to tell me you love me now because I want you too, right?" I asked jokingly, wiping the remaining tears from my face._

_Lewis wiped my cheek with his thumb. "Nope. But you will hear it from me. That I promise you."_

_And with am that promise, he sealed it with a kiss._

* * *

**3rd POV**

Unbeknownst to those inside the school, a thunderstorm was arising, especially from the beach of Paradise Cove. Wave levels were dangerously rising, increasing within the hours and bolts of lightning pierced the skies in violent light spectrums. Thunder boomed throughout the atmosphere, carried through the winds like a monster's roar could be heard from miles away.

On the streets of Valencia, rain pellets crashed upon the concrete with ferocity, cascading from the darkness and running own the streets like rushing rivers. The storm winds picked up, causing trees to whip around and vehicles to move to the point of tipping over.

Residences specifically locked themselves indoor, insisted by the weather report, but not knowing the situation had just gotten much more dangerous than they could ever imagine.

The weatherman said to expect Level 3 storm levels, but what he, and the rest of Humanity, didn't know that this site wasn't coming with any warnings, nor was it under any level that they could withstand.

In the theatre of Valencia High School, dark clouds parted in the skies. Above the audience, the window panels gave a magnificent view as the Full Moon emerged in a radiant light.

* * *

**Marana's POV**

I didn't have to see it to feel it.

The full moon's power.

It was seductive. The magic coursing through my sister's veins grew potent as the moonlight entered the theatre and over the land people that filled it up.

And then, my sister was called up.

"And with a round of applause, we welcome to the stage our last act of the night, Ms. Charlotte Watsford," Ms. Anelies announced on the microphone.

Grinning, I walked past all the other imbeciles in my way and got onto the stage. Like Ms. Anelies described, it was a full house and, unsurprisingly, a lot of the students were here to attend the dance.

Feeling a massive jolt inside me, I slowly looked up and faced the Full Moon head-on.

Almost instantaneously, the jolt turning into powerful courses if crashing waves hitting each other in powerful yet deadly beatings. The power flowed into the rushing current of a whirlpool through my veins.

It felt powerful.

I felt powerful.

As I looked up upon the crowd, if possible, I could have felt pity about the poor unfortunate souls that wouldn't leave her tonight.

And then, as my Abyss eyes met Pacific blue, I could practically feel the intensity of her glare against me. I inwardly smirked as she gave me one more heated look before turning away and headed towards the exit.

But she's too late.

It has begun.

* * *

**Laguna's POV**

The moment I heard Charlotte's name called up, me and Jonathan were up in an instant and heading in two different directions.

I was heading to the entrance while Jonathan was heading to get Annette out of here.

The backup plan was simple: Turn on the fire alarm, causing - admittingly- a little chaos, but enough time to stop Marana just before she sang.

The only flaw would be whether or not this alarm had sprinklers attached or not. If so, I can only trust that I caught Marana off guard long enough that whatever she's doing to avoid transformation in public, causing her to go run and hide and I could get everyone out of here.

But the only problem is that surprising Marana was a surprise in itself.

As I hurried my way to the exits, I felt a gaze upon me and turned around to meet Marana's true eyes staring down with me. I glared back.

It didn't take a genius to see that she was now under the influence of the Full Moon.

She's gone too far and to think just how easy it must have seemed for Charlotte to let that witch take control of her is something I will never forgive myself for.

Taking my eyes off her, I practically ran for the exit and pushed the door open...

Only, it didn't.

Trying again, I pushed on the metal handles again, only to find resistance on the other side. I pushed and pulled both ways, jiggling the handles but just getting frustrated before slamming my hands against the doors.

"There a problem?"

I turned to see Jonathan, thankfully, and Annette at his side, looking equally frustrated yet concerned. I didn't doubt that just getting her to come with him was a struggle in itself.

"Describe the problem," I stated sarcastically. "The doors are locked.

"What?" He asked, moving from Annette's side and tried pushing against the doors as well.

"That's impossible," he said, "It shouldn't even be able to lock and I saw the music teacher with the keys on her."

"Well, they are now," I stated, "Is it the same way on the other side?"

He nodded. "I checked right before I got her. I assumed you'd have better luck."

Damn that witch to the abyss where she belongs!

We're locked in. This must have been what Marana meant by "Enjoy the show".

"First off, what the hell is going on? And why did you drag me here?" Annette whispered harshly. For a minute, I could see where Charlotte got her anger.

I turned to her, ready to calm her down, but before I could, Marana spoke.

* * *

**3rd POV**

"Well, I would just like to say that I am honored to be here and I hope you all have enjoyed yourselves," Marana said, disguising Charlotte's voice with fake genuine.

The crowd laughed a little.

"Well, I'm going to sing an original piece. But pay attention, it can be a little...hypnotic at some points," she finished.

Eyes widening, Laguna quickly pulled out two pairs of earbuds and handed each to Jonathan and Annette. He looked at his mother-in-law in shock.

"Wait! What about you?" he asked.

"Don't worry about me! I know her song by now, so you need to get Annette out of here!" she demanded.

Looking back to Annette, who was now more confused, whispered quickly, "I know you don't understand this, but trust me, hearing this song is the last thing you want to do. But please trust us."

Annette gave Laguna a look of disbelief and quickly looked towards her daughter before putting the buds in.

Once both adults were soundproof from Marana's song, Jonathan quickly whisked Annette away...

But then, Laguna heard the familiar symphony of violins were heard from Charlotte's vocal cords.

The Siren's Voice.

Marana finally began her song:

_"Long beyond the oceans_

_Deep below the seas_

_Come with me, my love_

_Forget the land above_

_Underneath the Full Moon_

_Thy ending's coming soon_

* * *

_**Flowing through the currents** _

_**Be held within my arms** _

_**Swim along beside me** _

_**And stray from salty shores** _

_**Into the high seas** _

_**Or nothing shall be seen** _

_Charlotte halted in her footsteps as the haunting melody filled her head. It was serene and calm yet it filled her every being to go straight to the ocean and never look back._

* * *

_With crashing waves and stormy nights_

_Clouds darkened the marines_

_Please listen closely, my love_

_For I shall be thy doom_

Laguna looked in horror as every single person in the room stiffened from their normal postures and ever one of their eyes glazed over from Marana's hypnotic tone.

_Forsaken all thou knows of_

_And leave the past behind_

_Come with me, my love, tonight_

_Thy Siren's Song, you'll hear..."_

There was a stillness in the crowd. The silence was deafening that only the sound of the storm could be heard throughout the theatre. Everyone's eyes were glued to the possessed mermaid on stage.

And they had no idea how much danger they were in.

* * *

Jonathan was the only one of the 3 people not affected as he dragged Annette Watsford out the frozen room, finally finding an exit backstage.

Those who were backstage but got a full whiff of the Siren's Voice were frozen like statues. Some stuck in the position they were in prior, to the singing, others stood upright in the direction to the stage. Jonathan shuddered at the still form of Alaine Williams when he passed right by her.

Annette couldn't keep her eyes off her daughter. Something was off tonight, she could feel it in her bones. Though the buds blocked off most of the sound, she felt most of what was coming from Charlotte's voice.

It was eerie and haunting, but it didn't sound like a song. It sounded like a warning.

"No! I can't leave my daughter! I think she's in danger," she voiced, struggling to get out of Jonathan's grip. "Let go of me!"

It took all Jonathan had no to tell this woman the truth, but he'd be doing more harm than good and getting her killed in the process. So, he kept moving, nearly dragging the mother with him to safety.

* * *

**Back in the auditorium...**

Laguna just stood there, staring at Marana once more before deciding it wasn't' worth the hassle and raised her hands towards the bolted doors and immediately started melting it from the other side.

"You're too late."

Marana smirked in victory as Laguna turned to her, fury deeply rooted in her eyes.

"She'll never forgive you for this!" Laguna screeched. "She never has. Not then and certainly not now. Charlotte will wake up for this!"

Marana laughed. "You think I never planned for this. Ane'lie is in a safe place where you can't reach her. She'll never want to come out, even if it kills her."

And with that, a creaking noise was heard throughout the room. It increased and increased until Laguna realized something...

She hasn't heard the storm since Marana sung.

Tremors could be felt against the walls and, before she could react, water burst from the window panels and poured into the theatre at such an impetus that it made Laguna believe that the school was encased with water.

Unless...

* * *

Jonathan and Annette finally made it to the school exit in the back of the school.

He figured that if he took the back way, they could circle to the front, get to the car, and signal to Karen the news.

And God was he not looking forward to that call.

Suddenly, they heard a great crash from the direction of the theatre. That was his cue that it's time to go.

"We need to leave!" Jonathan ordered. And as much as Annette wanted to protest and get her daughter, she had a feeling agreeing was her best option.

By the time they got to the exit, Annette halted in her footsteps. Something was off. The doors were creaking as if the pressure was being applied to it. Jonathan heard it too.

"Keep moving," he commanded. Annette stood her place.

"Listen, I'm a fan of the movie Titanic and I'm telling you that this doesn't feel-"

BOOM!

Annette didn't get to finish her sentence because, at that moment, the doors busted open and large amounts of water came storming in from the other side, knocking both of them down and carrying them away.


	50. The Storm-Part 4

**Marana's POV**

Water came coursing through the auditorium's window panels, almost crashing into the audience until Laguna intercepted it, causing it to hover above their heads by mere inches.

One hand out, I shot out a thick blast of water towards Laguna, intending to hit one of my victims, and watched as she misdirected it to an empty wall. Water splattered everywhere, hitting a few land people in the process.

But I kept them coming.

"Well, well, well," I goaded, slowly walking down the aisle, "it seems like you've got yourself in quite the predicament."

On that last word, I lightly caressed the head of a toddler dressed in a lion costume with my other hand. I almost laughed at the blank expression on his face, much like the one his parents and peers have on theirs.

Back in my Old Life, I've been told by Ane'lie and Laguna that I had what land people call a "flair for the dramatic", or at least that's the phrase nowadays. Whatever that meant before, I now know that I like it very much.

"You're one to talk," Laguna sneered.

Both of our hands outstretched, I watched as Laguna levitated the rainwater that had to be 20 feet high and steadily flowing in, enough that under my control, the audience would be sitting completely still as they drowned.

She's powerful but not as powerful as _**me.**_

Laguna glaring at me like she could drown me at this very moment made me was horrendously hilarious and I couldn't decide which was funnier:

The idea of drowning me or the idea she could hold my powers at bay. I'll admit, this is impressive, even for her, but she couldn't stop an entire school from being flooded. Hell, hallways were being flooded as we speak!

And then, I noticed the small beads of sweat forming on her forehead and running down her head. I decided to mess with her.

"Getting tired yet? I don't fault you. Your body has been regressing from old to young so many times that it's starting to wear you down. Can't say I don't feel sorry for you." I taunted. "But I _can_. Maybe if you'd had stuck by me, this could have been avoided. Maybe we could have put an end to our pointless game. Even better, perhaps we could have spent all this looking for Ane'lie together. How about that?"

I laugh internally as I bait her. Ha, she's _still_ so easy to torment.

"You're despicable for this!" Laguna yelled. "It's bad enough that you conned Charlotte into possessing her body. Then, you take it upon yourself to derail any relationship she has just to ensure she had nothing to hold her back. And lastly, murder. Drowning a whole room full of innocents...I should have known. You always liked the appeal of mass sacrifices."

Sweat ran down her head at what would have once been an easy feat was now straining on her. My dear, has old age finally caught up with her!? I bit my sister's lip to stifle the giggle that wanted to erupt.

"True," I shrugged nonchalantly. "More power for me, I guess. Any supernatural being, whether mermaids, witches, and _maybe_ the occasional succubus or two would understand a good sacrifice now and then, But tonight is different, Laguna. I could feel it! Something has changed, something that will tip the balance in my favor.

But you know what, Laguna, I never understood you. You lived, aged, and then when you ran out of the family, you reverted to young women all over again. It's like now, in this very present, an unending cycle! Didn't you ever consider calling it off and just die already?!"

As I said this, I produced more pressure into the water, causing it to expand and, against Laguna, making it look like a thick, heavy blanket hovering over the entire audience in the auditorium.

"You know, I had, Marana, more than once. And I can't do that, not while you're considered amongst the living as well. I'll pass on when you go. And considering how stubborn you are, I won't be leaving anytime soon. Not while you're alive and sure as Hell as long as Ane'lie's cursed. This whole cycle will end when we're all allowed to die."

I narrowed my eyes.

"Well then, let me be the first to make that happen, **permanently**!"

* * *

_**With Jonathan and Annette...** _

**3rd POV**

Finding herself cascading down the hallways in what seemed like an endless flow of water was not what Annette Watsford was expecting tonight.

No, nothing was going how she planned tonight.

Tonight, she had planned to attend Charlotte's performance.

Then, she could be a chaperone at the dance.

And thirdly, heal the rift between Alaine and her daughter so that things could go back to normal (and not without a police report to Andrea Williams soon enough!)

But this turn of events had been the most abrupt thing to happen since she moved to California. And a lot has happened that she doesn't understand.

By the time they stopped, Jonathan had grabbed a piece of a corner, stirring him and Annette into another hallway. There wasn't much water flow there, which was great. Helping her up, both he and Annette were drenched to the bone, their wet clothes sticking to them like glue as they struggled to get up.

"And Brendan wonders why I don't like amusement park rides," Jonathan groaned, taking off his shirt to wring the water out of it. "This is **_exactly_ **why!"

And make a silent promise to himself that Brendan would NEVER find out about what just happened. He'd never let him live it down.

Annette did the same with her chef jacket, leaving her in a tank top and black waist pants. Her blonde hair was, like her, dripping from head to toe. she pulled out her phone, only to see the water practically murdered it.

"Shit! There's no way my phone will work!" Annette hissed.

"Don't worry, just take out the SD card and dry it out before getting a new one. I left mine's back in the car when I and my mother-in-law took on the way here," Jonathan strained, wringing the shirt one more time before putting it on. "Assuming it's still in one piece when we get out of here."

"Oh, yes, that is plenty of good. Now can you tell me WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON!?" Annette yelled. Getting her bearings together was the second thing on her list to worry about.

He looked at her, face blank. Explaining was not what he planned on doing any time soon, not unless Charlotte brought her into the fold.

Sighing, he grabbed her hand and started marching to the next nearest exit. One he hopes doesn't have a trap waiting behind the door.

"Look, unless there's a change in circumstances, I can't give you any answers that I _know_ you're going to desire by the end of tonight. But until then, you are going to have to stick by my side until daylight," Jonathan stressed.

Annette snatched her hand away. "No. I am not going anywhere until someone, and that means **_you_** , gives me some kind of reasonable explanation- no, scratch that- _mediocre_ reason to what's going on! And I'm not moving until I do!"

And now Jonathan understood where Charlotte got her stubbornness from.

He walked up and leaned in close to her face, staring directly into her eyes. "Look, tonight's Halloween, some call it Samhain, but for Laguna, it's a night of Hell. Nightmarish creatures come out to feed, bad omens are cast and reveal this time of year, but for her, the dead comes out and talk. Some don't know how or why, but they specifically torment her because they left before their times because of something she has tried willingly but unable to control failed. And the fact that it's a Full Moon has nearly toppled up or drowned if you'd prefer.

Do you want answers? Well, I'll lay it bare: Only your daughter can tell you and unless she does, you are going to have to be quiet and hand on for me a little longer!"

Both hadn't realized it, but as Jonathan continued to rant, he had her pressed up against her the lockers in the empty hallways. His ruthless glare was no match for her steely glance.

"Well if that's the case: If this school is flooding, I _**need** _to get my daughter out of here! If she's the only one that can give me answers, let's find her so I can get them. But. Do. Not. Treat. Me. Like. A. **CHILD**!" Annette growled, jabbing a finger in his chest. "Save that tone for your kids, but not with me! If there's a problem, let's find a solution. If Charlotte is in danger or is in any harm, tell me now! But let me make this crystal clear here: I'm not leaving this school without her."

And with that, it was Annette that had Jonathan against the locker.

He put his head down. She and Karen together would be a force to be reckoned with!

Jonathan looked up again, resigning. "Well, if that's how you want it..."

Before Annette even had a chance to blink, the older man had bent down, grabbed her waist, and threw her over his shoulder!

"PUT ME DOWN! PUT ME DOWN! PUT ME DOWN, THIS INSTANT, YOU NEANDERTHAL! OR SO HELP ME I WILL SCREAM TO THE TOP OF MY LUNGS, PUSH, PUNCH, JAB, - _**ANYTHING**_ TO GET THE MESSAGE CLEAR! NOW LET ME GO, YOU BIG OAF! GIANT! TYRANT! I'M DEAD SERIOUS HERE! LET ME GO!"

Had this been any other time or occasion, Jonathan would admit to having an intense case of deja vu to the night he met Karen.

And with the screaming woman on his shoulder, he looked around every corner until he found an emergency exit and pushed it open.

Jonathan's momentary silence prompted Annette to stop screaming and try to look over his shoulder. "What's wrong?"

He remained quiet. He had opened the door, only to find water building up on the other side. Except for this time, it didn't collapse on them. Instead, it was built like a wall.

It was moving, rather hurriedly, like it was being pressurized and being sent somewhere else while still cultivating more of itself as it goes.

 _This must be the rain_ , he thought. It would explain why he stopped hearing the storm raging outside. But did that mean...?

Raising the arm not holding Annette up, he pushed it through the wall.

It moved his hand upward, like following putting a flowing hand following the direction of a coursing river. But he felt nothing else from the other side besides harsh winds.

"I think I found a way out," he mumbled.

Nodding to this, Annette started, "Great, so how about you get your humongous ass moving so I can get Charlotte!"

Shaking his head, he took a couple of steps back before charging into the water wall, causing Annette to start screaming again.

With his large frame and body, he burst right through it, rain hitting him directly in the face and his eardrums filled with the booming of thunder and the crackling of lightning-filled sky illuminated the dark, cloudy night.

"YES!" Jonathan exclaimed, pumping a fist in the air.

"Yes, alright, okay, we're out. Now can we..." Annette trailed off. Her eyes widening from what she saw at the state of the school. "This can't be possible."

Not comprehending what she meant, Jonathan turned to the side so the both of them could see.

His jaw dropped.

Like he didn't want it to be, the two of them stared as Valencia High School was entombing in water. Jonathan's eyesight caught many broken windows and open doorways, indicating that water was flooding the school as he stood!

And that meant...

"LAGUNA!" he yelled, realizing that not only was she trapped with Marana inside the auditorium, but so were many, many civilians under that sea witch's control.

Jonathan had to call Karen and warn her.

Realizing he was not too far from the van, he ran with Annette hanging off him like a sack of potatoes, screaming at what she saw. Not sure if she was delirious or not.

"T-t-that isn't real, Jonathan! This isn't real. It can't be real...right?" Annette asked, not sounding sure enough to ask.

Not answering that, and not _wanting_ to answer that, Jonathan made it to the van and pulled out his car keys to unlock it. He has never been gladder to own water-proofed gadgets.

Opening the backseat first, he unceremoniously threw Annette in before closing the door and hopping into the driver's side next. He'd apologize for that later, but for now, he was in a hurry!

Pulling open the glove compartment, he brought out his phone and called Karen on his speed dial.

"C'mon, C'mon, C'mon! Pick up the phone, Karen!" he pleaded to himself. Out of all the worst things to happen tonight, he just hoped his wife was okay.

And trusted her guts to tell her something was wrong.

After 3 rings, he sighed in relief to hear her voice.

 _"Hello? Jon?"_ she asked for the other side. A weight lifted upon his chest once she answered.

"Karen, my Love, listen to me! It happened. I rep-"

**BBOOOOOOOMMMMMM!**

A rumble resonated across the parking lot, shaking the ground and the school's very foundation. Jonathan grabbed the dash while Annette held onto the handgrip and a headrest as the ground quake beneath them.

Looking through the front window, the two watched as the water came flooding out the school, dragging various desks, chairs, and unrecognizable things crashing out and then Jonathan turns his eyes towards the auditorium, which had the same effect happening through the main doors.

* * *

**_At the Cove's Residence..._ **

**Karen's POV**

"Something happened!" I panicked. I was pacing around the floor of the living room, well wobbling, as I kept my eyes on my phone. Jon had warned me that he and Mother would be leaving their phones in the van before heading in.

But that was roughly 2 hours ago and the Full Moon is up.

I didn't have to look at it through the windows to feel its energy coursing through my veins. Or perhaps that was my daughter moving continuously inside me that's causing my anxiety.

"How do you know that?" Brendan asked from the couch, nervously bouncing his leg. He was just as anxious as me but appeared as calm as a turtle while he played on his phone.

"Call it a gut feeling, mermaid intuition, mother's instincts, or whatever you want to call it. I know something went wrong!" I exclaimed. What if they were too late and Marana already sang her Siren Song? What if Jonathan didn't put the earplugs in on time? What if he...

"MOM!"

I jumped, causing the baby the kick me hard in the side as a result. I could low-key tell she was going to be my mother's favorite.

"I can feel our fear from here and that's not good for you or my little sister in there," Brendan said calmly. "Why don't I make you some mint tea you always drink? Would that help? And can you sit down while you're at it? You're going to put yourself in labor if you don't."

Well, he had a point. I could feel a dent in the floor from the pacing I was doing.

Nodding to both suggestions, I quickly, or as quickly as you can with a baby bump, in Jonathan's lounge chair as Brendan got up and headed to the kitchen.

Despite how ugly things got between Brendan's father and me, no matter what changes could be offered with time travel (and yes, I am a believer), I would never regret having my son in my life.

Never.

Feeling the frenzied kicks inside me, I placed a hand over my stomach and rubbed it reassuringly to calm her down.

Finding out the baby was a girl was the closest I've seen Jonathan cry since our wedding day. However, the only thing we could not agree on was baby names. I wanted something that would be meaningful and relatable to being a mermaid, seeing as if Brendan got it, so would she. Jonathan wanted something she could live within dignity and would not be passed over for the common names in this world.

So, we'd decided to name her on the day she was born.

But now I'm feeling like that's in vain...

Suddenly, out of nowhere, I heard my phone ringing. Considering I put it on the far end of the table, which I forgot, it rang 3 times before Brendan came rushing into the room to bring it to me. I didn't waste time answering and put it on speaker.

"Hello? Jon?" I called out, hoping he was on the other line.

_"Karen, my Love, listen to me! It happened. I rep-"_

An explosion was from the other side, causing me and Brendan to jump in fright at the volume and intensity of that sound.

It happened...

Was he talking about my worst fears? Did Marana sing already!?

"Jon, what happened? Jon! JON!" I screamed into the phone, scared at the possibility that this was the last time I'd ever hear my husband's voice.

It was the scariest 5 minutes of my life until I heard static and then, to my relief, a groan from the other side.

_"Dear God..."_

Brendan and I tensed. I knew that voice. Over the past few months, I've spoken to it several times on the phone.

"Jon? Honey, are you there? Please just answer me! Who's with you?" I asked, panicking again, only for a different reason.

 _Please let that not be who I think it is_ , I prayed internally.

There was some more shuffling and static from the other side until I nearly cried in solace at Jonathan's grumbling.

 _"Karen! I'm still here! I'm sorry about that! But you need to listen to me because I don't have much time. Yes, **it** did happen. The school is flooding itself as we speak. I need to find your mother. I had to leave her alone with...You-Know-Who while I got Charlotte's mother out of there. And, yes dear, she's right behind me," _Jon said skeptically.

Knowing that he hardly refers to that unless he has to, I could only deduce that Marana hypnotized the audience and, save for my mother, Annette was there and he managed to help her avoid being hypnotized into a living statue too. Plus he can't say anything without getting the woman suspicious at the already terrible night.

And judging by the state of the school, Marana's chaos-in-the-making is bearing fruit!

"Ok then," I started, trying to be calm while getting my bearings together. "What do you need me to do?"

 _"For starters, you and Brendan need to get to Marina and have the boat ready and prepare by the time we get there. We'll be there soon. Understood?"_ he asked, I could hear him breathing heavily.

I just nodded. "Okay, and what about Annette?"

 _"...Have the ring ready,"_ was all he said before hanging up. Brendan looked at me.

"He's not asking you to whammy her, is he?" he asked uncertainly.

I'm choosing not to answer that for both our sake. Sounds like Annette had gotten a full dose of the chaos Marana can cause, though she's unaware that it's all happening through Charlotte.

"Well, you heard the man, son," I stated urgently, Brendan helping me up. "Go put on some waterproof clothes, get the car keys- both keys- and there's a box in the library, underneath your grandmother's desk. Open it and grab the first First Aid kit and a small, green vial. You can't miss it."

He nodded and asked, "What about you?"

"I'm going to get into a quick change of clothes right quick. If I'm out in this weather, I'm going about it carefully."

"And what about your water breaking?"

There was a moment of silence.

"If it happens, it happens," I concluded. "Now go!"

He turned to run away but he stopped for a short second and turned to me. "Mom, what's exactly is in that vial?"

With a sharp look, I stared at him and said, "Something both your grandmother and I had hoped to never use until now."

And with that, eyes widening, he was off. I never saw him run that fast since he was panicking earlier today. Maybe even faster.

I started waddling as fast as I could to my bedroom but gasped as a deep kick stopped me in the doorway. I looked down at my stomach.

"Whew," I breathed in deeply, "you know something bad is happening don't you?"

Another hard kick was felt. Yep, she knew.

"Alright baby, just bear with me and your brother a little longer. OK?" I asked my bump.

I felt nothing after that. Shaking my head, I continued to walk in when I felt something a sharp kick, sharper than any of the others.

And then I felt a trickle of liquid running down my legs.

Oh no.

Shaking my head repeatedly, I lightly smacked my bump on the side.

"Really?" I asked in incredulous. "You couldn't hold it, could you?"

All I got were two softer kicks as my answer.

I quickly got into my room and opened up the bedroom closet to pull out my blue hospital bag and changed out into a different yet sturdier dress and raincoat. Since this baby was going to have the Mother-Of-All bad timings to come out, so be it.

I took in light breathing techniques to calm myself down as I grabbed my bag and walked out of the room as urgently as I could. Then Brendan's question came back to me.

_If there is a God, let him be merciful enough that it won't come time to use it._

* * *

_**Back to Valencia High...** _

**3rd POV**

_She's gone._

They didn't know when or how they came to know that, but that was on both Jonathan's and Annette's minds when the entered the auditorium in turmoil. Upon entry, the entire space looked like it had been flooded up entirely.

Water filled the front row seats and back, curtains ruined and drenched, the stage was filled with water and damaged its surface, electrical equipment was soiled and unable.

But most importantly, everyone was waking up.

Screams and shrieks could be heard as the entire audience was waking up from their haze and gasps as everyone was splashing and sloshing around, trying to make sense of the mass hysteria. Such could be said for backstage, where the flood has reached as well, ruining some of their performers' costumes and makeup and shortcircuiting anything they were using as well.

Alaine was one of them. Her hair was slicked down, light makeup running down her face, her clothes soaked to her skin, and in mass confusion. Looking around at her drowned surroundings, she quickly ran to the stage to get her first glance of the swamped auditorium.

"What in the name of **_the Great Deluge_** happened here?" she asked herself.

Did the biblical Deluge come to town?

Families and students were searching for each other. Like Alaine, some were coming from behind the stage and others were already amongst the crowds.

"HELP! HELP! CAN ANYBODY DO CPR?!"

A shout came from the other side of the building. A man was pulling a young man around the seats, pushing past the mass to find some flat surface.

Which ended up being the stage itself.

Alaine took a few steps closer to the body and gasped.

It was from Riley.

His eyes were closed, skin pale, mouth open, head tilted back. He more than looked like he had gone for an unexpected swim.

He drowned.

The man on top of him started doing chest presses on his stomach, not knowing he was doing it wrong.

And that's when Ms. Anelies came splashing towards them, kneeling to the man's side and pushed him away. However, she caught Alaine staring at the boy and signaled her towards her.

"Alaine, I want you to listen and listen carefully," the teacher instructed. "First, I want you to feel for a pulse. Can you do that? The main one should be a vein on his neck."

Nodding to her instructor, she did as she was told. Pressing two fingers on the side of Riley's neck, she started moving it around until she found it.

It was faint, but there.

"I got it!" she exclaimed.

Nodding, she placed one hand on top of the other and placed them on Riley's chest and started doing compressions. She started doing 30 compressions before breathing air down his lungs before telling Alaine to join her and do the same.

Alaine winced when she heard a crack where his ribs should be and started the process at least 2 more times. By the 4th time the teacher breathed into his lungs, Alaine jumped back, startled, as Riley came back to life.

He arched up, coughing and spitting out water from his lungs. As well as wincing and heaving from the broken up ribs.

Ms. Anelies, not too startled, looked towards the stranger that failed to do CPR on him.

"How did you find him!?" Ms. Anelies yelled to the man, who stood there dumbly at the procedure.

"I-I-I found him laying face-flat in the water. H-He was practically floating!" he stuttered.

Distracted, Aline took this moment to turn Riley on his side, producing more water up to his lungs and giving him time to breathe. She crouched low to his ear.

"Thank God Almighty, you're alright," she whispered to him. "By the way, do you know what happened? Did you get a chance to see Charlotte?"

But Riley gave her a blank expression on his face before passing out. For a moment, she almost thought he didn't know what he was talking about. But she chalked it up to his near-death experience.

"PLEASE HELP HER!"

Alaine looked behind her and paled. It was that stoic-looking guy from the Cove's house and Annette. And on their shoulders...

It was Laguna.

She looked half-conscious. From where she sat, she could hear her shallow breathing, as if she had water up in her lungs as well.

"Come to lay her here," Alaine urged them.

They did as told and she made eye contact with Annette. The woman looked worse for wear, but the eyes were windows to the soul for a reason.

Her eyes appeared to show disbelief, fear, awe, and intensive grief as she darted around partially through the auditorium before meeting hers again.

 _Have you seen Charlotte?_ they asked.

 _No_ , she said through her own eyes, shaking her head.

Following in example, Alaine proceeded to do CPR on the elderly woman, only to find her not so worst off than Riley and water coming out in less quantity than expected.

Alaine sighed with relief. She looked up at the stoic guy, Jonathan, she remembered, who held a similar expression.

But though he was relived, he was still stressed.

Jonathan, himself, was beyond thankful to the girl. This was one less bad news he had to deliver to his wife and stepson. But the worse had yet to come.

Crouching low, he whispered to Laguna "What happened? Where is she?"

Laguna turned her head, breathing heavily but her eyes filled with sorrow.

"G-g-got away," she replied brokenly. "I-I- I believed I h-had her and s-stopped the f-flooding. But...t-there was more..."

Jonathan nodded to her. "Yes, she was flooding other parts of the school too. She must have summoned it and surprised you."

That could explain the explosion: Marana already had a plan to drown all these people, but something must have happened between the two ancient mermaids for the witch to try drowning Laguna as well.

"Okay. I already called Karen and told her to meet us at Marina," he spoke softly. "But where is she? Where did she take Charlotte?"

Laguna was silent for the next few minutes. He was worried about what to say, especially with two of the people closest to the girl in close range.

And then, Laguna spoke.

"She's gone."


	51. The Storm-Part 5

**_At Valencia High..._ **

**3rd POV**

It was a stampede of screams, sirens, terror, and car alarms blaring as the civilians and EMTs carried the injured and possibly drowned victims out of the auditorium into various vehicles and ambulances, getting ready to rush to the nearest hospitals.

Annette was torn between helping Alaine and Riley go to the hospital or following the Coves to wherever she believed they knew Charlotte might be. However, Jonathan (barely) managed to convince her not to follow them before they started their pursuit for Marana, who must've escaped by car, ignoring all the mayhem she left behind.

Jonathan was only thankful she ended up following the young teenagers, especially because he no longer needed Karen to use the moon ring's power to knock her out if Annette still had been determined to come with them. But Laguna on the other hand...

_Flashback..._

_"You are taking me to Charlotte NOW!" Annette screamed, the wind howling as chaos erupted throughout the parking lot._

_Jonathan internally groaned as it rained heavily throughout the night._

_**Here she goes again** , he thought, partially realizing where Charlotte got her stubbornness from._

_Luckily, Laguna, having recovered enough strength from the intended flooding, spoke up first. She stood before her and placed a hand on her shoulder sternly, forcing the woman to lock eyes with hers._

_"Look, Annette, I need you to listen to me: I swear on my life that I will find Charlotte and return her to you safe_ _ly," Laguna declared, seeping in her own Siren Voice._

_It had been **years** since she last used that voice, and she wasn't proud of it, but if it could be used for the greater good for once in her long life, then so be it._

_Laguna watched as Annette's eyes glazed over and continued, " **You wil**_ **_ l leave with one of the ambulances handling Mr. Byrnes and remain at the hospital until we call you _ ** _."_

_It wasn't a lie. She and Karen made sure to have the woman's number just in case of emergencies. So, she wasn't lying._

_Seeing Annette nod her in agreement, Laguna let go of her shoulders and walked away, leaving the old mermaid and her son-in-law to watch in surprise as the mother did just as she was commanded to do._

_Jonathan looked towards his mother-in-law and said, "You do realize what you've just done, right?"_

_Laguna shrugged. "The way I see it: What Charlotte doesn't know won't hurt her."_

_Flashback ends..._

The voice did the job, and he knew it would hold assuming Annette had the common sense to believe get there on her own. Whatever Laguna and Marana were doing before flooding that auditorium nearly wiped out everyone's - sans the Coves and a few others- electronic devices and the thunderstorm was in no way going to allow any more ambulances to travel to nor from the school.

Not like it could.

The thunderstorm was blinding and deafening, storm drains were overwhelmed as it coursed down the streets, the winds were powerful enough that trees were falling in some parts of the county, and the heavy rain was pelting the cars like bullets raining down from machine guns in the sky. The vehicles that managed to leave the school were in danger of getting stuck in the storm had any chance to advance. But as it progressed at its pace, civilians that were told to stay indoors took a hint that this was no ordinary storm and started getting in their cars and heading into the road, not knowing whether or not something would be blacking their paths or trapped regardless.

The news team started gathering reports that the storm was turning from a Category 3 storm to a Category 4, a hurricane following through, that not even the meteorologist caught ahead of time.

It was dangerous.

It was ruthless.

It had Marana's work written all over it.

The Coves, however, were not amongst them.

Where were they? They were speeding as much as the car would take them to a marina in Inglewood called Paradise Bound (Laguna swears she has no claims to it) to meet up with Karen and Brendan. It was an hour's drive, which was heavily delayed by the confusion and wreckage of the school, and the storm was no help at all.

The Perfect Chaos.

Luckily, Jonathan was no stranger to running red lights and breaking the speed limit when it demanded.

"Alright, so let's discuss how we go at this," Jonathan started, being mindful while pushing the speed limits. "You said that Marana got away, right? Just lay it out for me."

Laguna just sighed. "At first, we were at a standstill. She had caused the water to came rushing in the room with the full intent of drowning everybody in it. I managed to stop her and - well, imagine all the water in an aquarium with more continuously adding and that's just how much we were holding between us!"

Jonathan puffed air into his cheeks as they made a swerve around a car, just bearly missing it. It helped to hide his shock.

"I was trying to dispel it, evaporate it and she just kept on taunting me, belittling me. Basically like a typical villain from those children cartoons-"

"The one where they spill their whole plans?" he quickly interrupted.

"Might as well have," Laguna continued. "We were at the thickest of it and I was pushing it onto her when she did something to the water. It was so subtle at first, I didn't notice, but it all felt wrong. Typically, you can feel water when you're manipulating it, rather it's the rushing waters of a river or the blood flow of a human body. But she somehow...tainted it. Negated it. Turned something pure into something dark and vile to use against me...the next thing I knew, she regained full control and, well, you saw what the outcome was. It was basically as if the water mimicked itself into her personality and intentions."

"If I didn't know any better, it sounds like she had cast a spell _in_ the water, making it somehow favor her over you," Jonathan suggested, making another sharp turn.

"No, no, this felt different," Laguna said, " I think it's coming back to me...Yes, she canceled out my powers. For any mermaid with enough training, especially against one another, they can stop attacks when they happen. But to do so, they'd need to have a good amount of control over their powers, first off, and they need to know how to measure it. Think about how we typically use the furnace to get to the cave using the flame. You think any typical merperson can do?"

"You and Karen can do that. And so can Brendan with a little practice," he insisted.

"And so can Charlotte."

Without warning, Jonathan flew and hit a speedbump that caused him to fly up and Laguna to hit the glass.

"OUCH!" Laguna hissed, rubbing her head where she could feel a bruise forming.

"SORRY!" Jonathan yelled, regaining control of the wheel. "And you would know this how?"

Still rubbing her head, Laguna explained, "From watching her and her memories. When I first had her unluck the furnace, I assumed she wouldn't be able to do it. At least on the first try, but she did so anyway. I might've assumed beginner's luck if she hadn't been able to do it more and more at ease later on. Some with go with those beach balls in the pool. She has tremendous control, so I looked back into her memories and saw her do use it before. She was capable of starting a fire and putting it out with ease, hold enough focus to mold and freeze water to the likeliness of someone's face- even to the point a mirage of a said person appeared- and though she had the help of the full moon, she was able to create a creature made from water and when attacked, it completely ignored the effects meant to demobilize it."

"And what does that translate to? She has good focus?" he demanded.

"No, she's just always been powerful," Laguna said regretfully. "She may have never meant to be, intentionally, and she may have not had the best intentions behind her emotions to get there, but she's always been best intuned with her powers, regardless of how long she's had them. And perhaps that's why she had to be alone that year: Regardless of how it played out, nobody likes people who are better than them. And if she had more time, if she had been under Marana's influence back then, she would have proved too easily that this was true."

Jonathan turned his head to see regret and shame fill Laguna's eyes as she bowed her head. Shaking his head, he took one hand off the wheel and whacked her on the side. It did the trick because she looked up at him, undignified.

"Look, I don't know about you, but you seem to be comparing Charlotte to Ane'lie, and like my wife, I share a different view: They are two different people," he remarked. "I don't honestly care for whatever pettiness ensued in Australia, but I know this: Those girls changed her fate. Whether you call it Divine Intervention or whatnot, the girls came into Charlotte's life and altered a cycle that has long been beyond her control, and left it in a place so she could change the narrative. Have the time, certain people don't enter your life to be your friend, Laguna. They enter it to bring change. And look at what happened, Charlotte had more time. More time to grow, more time to mature and more time to- DAMMIT!"

Jonathan missed his exit and now had to take a longer route.

"And more time to be a girl. I don't think she truly realized what she'd given up the first time, but now she does. Out of all her previous lives, she's the only one to get a second chance. She's come so far, I don't think even she's realized it yet. But she'll get to be happy this time. If I didn't know any better, Laguna, she might be the one to break this endless cycle and you giving up on her doesn't help. Well, granted letting Marana control her doesn't help either, but it's far too late to dwell on that. So tell me, someone is going to have to help her learn to face the outcomes of her actions, so are you going to be it? "Cause she can't be left alone. Not again."

Despite the pouring rain and deafening storm they drove under, Laguna now looked at her son-in-law with new eyes. This has officially been the most passionate he's been about the girl, and the most praise he's given her, and of course, he wouldn't let her know that. Since he's met Karen, she'd believe he'd resign himself to being only what she and Brendan needed.

Now, in her darkest hours, he was what she needed too.

And then, she felt it. It was an unexpected throbbing short of where her bruise was formed.

"Uh, I don't feel so good," Laguna murmured as she held her head. It was more than a sudden ache at the moment and she knew it wasn't from stress.

"Just hang on soon, Laguna. We're getting there," Jonathan assured, keeping his eyes ahead through the torrential rain. He wasn't sure he believed himself though.

Laguna knew he was just trying to reassure her before midnight, but she knew it was not going to work. When the voices come out, it just spelled a tragedy.

_ "Just like me, Ms. Laguna?" _

Sitting straight up in her seat, Laguna covered her mouth to stop a croak from erupting. She could have sworn that she felt her heart halt.

_ "Ms. Laguna, why did you let me die? I did everything you told me to, I listened to you, and you let me die? You promised me I'd see Grandmother again. That this summer wouldn't be so horrid if I helped you? Why did I die? Did you **kill me?** " _

Laguna sat back in her seat, mouth still covered, using the sound of the rain to calm her nerves. She focused on the pounding, seeking to synchronize her heart rate with its timing.

And it was starting now. The ghosts are coming back to haunt her.

Said ghosts were Marana's victims of the past. Whenever Ane'lie's reincarnations were found ahead of time, Laguna took the time to explain everything that was, can, and **_will_ **happen to them, whether they're ready for it or not. But as fate would have it, Marana soon got control over them and they created terrible storms and other natural disasters, leaving Laguna to deal with the guilt and aftermath of the deaths and destruction left behind.

And with those deaths were vengeful spirits that refused to crossover, and happened to be the loved ones of the reincarnations' families who'd perished as well. Specifically, mothers to the lost daughters. They blamed Laguna for their deaths, their children's deaths, and Halloween was, unfortunately, the one night where they could voice their otherworldly despair in the best way they knew how:

Haunting Laguna.

"It's starting," she mumbled.

"Just hang in there!" Jonathan pleaded through his teeth. It was just their luck that after nearly being drowned, the Dead start waking up. One would think that with Charlotte being stuck in a reincarnation cycle, there would be no reason her past lives to haunt Laguna.

But that's where her many " _families_ " come in. Marana's destruction about always affected the families that raised Ane'lie over the years and extensively got caught in the crossfire, dying horrific deaths either quickly following Ane'lie's deaths or years later spent grieving or blaming Laguna for her/their demises.

But when it comes to Laguna hearing the _voices_ of the past incarnations, while Karen believed that it's her mothers guilty subconscious taking form, Jonathan held some believe that some of those lives left a piece of themselves attached to her. Maybe it was because of the Vow that kept them reunited or maybe it was because of their bond in their first lives. Whatever played a role, Laguna was always paying for it.

Always.

Meanwhile, Laguna was hit a sudden headache that sent her reeling as a barrage of screams and shouts filled her mind.

"AHHH!" Laguna screamed, clenching her head in pain.

_ "¿Cómo dejaste a mi preciosa hija para desaparecer en esa tormenta? ¿Donde esta ella? ¿Dónde está mi Carmenta, mi niña?" _

_ "L'hai lasciata, Laguna. Hai lasciato Caprice! Hai detto che l'avresti portata a casa. Ma hai mentito. Hai mentito e lei morirà di nuovo." _

_ "U t-tifla tiegħi, Firenze? Rajt tagħha għarqa, Laguna. Għeruq fl-oċean u anke ssieħbu fl-tfajla, tilfu ħafna minnu wkoll!" _

"Shut up!" Laguna screamed, clenching her head in her hands. Jonathan spared her a worried glance.

This was not good!

_ "Wǒ zhīdào wǒ gěile tā "fěnsī" shì yǒu yuányīn de. Zhòng shén yǒu tā de jìhuà, jìhuà tā bùpèi, nǐ bèipànle tā. Nǐ bèipànle tā. Nǐ shāle tā!" _

_ "Sabihin ang kanyang pangalan, Laguna. Sabihin ang pangalan ng Aking Puso! Ang kinuha mo sa isang mababaw na libingan! Sabihin ang kanyang pangalan! Sabihin ang kanyang pangalan!" _

_ "SKOTIZETE TI DAUTILIA MOU!" _

_ "Hozon shite kudasai. Hozon shite kudasai. Sore wa watashi ga motometa mono subete to nozonda mono subete de, anata wa kanojo o koroshimashita! Naze! Naze! Naze! Mu ̄ tan!" _

_ "FONISSA! FONISSA! Pou eínai to moró mou?! TI TON KANETE STIN EINAI TOU !?" _

_ "Vous nous avez brûlés! Vous nous avez laissé brûler! Moi mon mari ma fille! BRÛLÉS DANS LES 9 CERCLES DE L'ENFER! CATELINE BRÛLÉE PARCE QUE VOUS! BURNT STRAIGHT TO MER! NE JAMAIS ARRÊTER DE MARCHER, LA BELLE FACE À BRILLER À L'INTÉRIEUR! Elle ne verra jamais le ciel parce que toi! Vous avez brûlé son âme au diable!" _

_ "YOU LET US DIE!" _

"SHUT UP!" Laguna roared, sending the equivalent of a shockwave through the car. Windows shattered. The tires blew out with a force. And it was loud enough that it sent Jonathan's ears ringing, causing him to swirl them off the road and...

CRASH!

* * *

**Marana's POV**

I kept my eyes on the road as I drove the getaway car Ms. Anelies acquired for me during my singing so I could get a quick escape. As the pouring rain came pounding down against windshield and wipers swiped furiously to give me a view.

I smirked.

The look on Laguna's face as I turned the tide of our struggle couldn't bring me more satisfaction if it tried. She was always so weak. Feeble in stature and physical strength, I highly doubt she's spent time in her tail recently. She may look old, but I remember what her tail looks like.

Such a pretty thing. Lost to her stubbornness throughout the years.

As I was making my way to the rendezvous point, I decide to turn on the radio to the forecast, to what I created along the way, and instantly helped me to the weather report:

**"This is Radio KWO37, helping and reporting tonight's weather and we've got a nasty one out here folks! Looking out here tonight, this unexpected storm has graced our skies with storm clouds I think they're getting darker- and the increasing level of heavy winds and severe** **thunderstorms** **has the State calling for a Category 4 storm warning _and_ a Flash Flood warning in most of the local areas of Los Angeles and cities, even Malibu, are being encouraged to evacuate the cities. If you're stuck at home, it is heavily advised to get the highest point of your home as the storm presides. And in case you are stuck in traffic, we have roads starting to be blocked because of storm-related accidents, especially on the highway, so if you-"**

I chuckled to myself as I listened to the reports. The moon is at its peak and my work is barely just beginning with so much accomplished already. Thank you, My Sister, for your wonderous cooperation.

As the grin grew on my face, I heard ringing right next to me. I turned to the passenger side to see the light of my burner phone (not my idea). Picking it up with one hand while the other remained on the wheel, I answered.

"Yes?"

**_"She's still alive."_ **

I didn't say anything for a few minutes.

**_"Hello?"_ **

...

"She's still alive?" I asked. A hint of irritation rising in my head.

" ** _Yes. You did some damage, but I was forced to resuscitate some of the victims to keep up my appearance and am at the hospital_** ," Ms. Anelies whispered, loud background noises leading me to realize she wasn't alone.

I growled internally. Laguna just won't die, can she!? But I couldn't fault the _woman_. She still had her end of the stick her deal with.

"Alright, just keep doing...whatever it is your doing over there," I spoke. "My storm is already causing problems with traffic, and thanks to you, I was provided with a head start. Once I get to my location, you'll know when it's happening."

" ** _And what about the hospital attendees?_** " she asked worriedly. " ** _I can't keep up the pretense forever!_** "

"Don't worry," I said stoically. "I did the spell so well that no one will notice the difference between you and everyone else."

Before she could get a word in, I hung u the phone, rolled down the window and threw it out into the street, Knowing the rain and wet terrain would render it useless.

In all honesty, I should have known she'd keep fighting. We've played this game before and usually by this time, she'd still be kicking. You'd think after centuries, I'd grow bored, and in some ways, I have. Perhaps I'm a bit vexed by now considering this time, I did all the work myself.

But I had something she didn't and she wouldn't **dare** to hurt her, even if she tried.

But for now, I still have the upper hand and my sister is oblivious to everything that's happening.

Looking to my right, I see two blue and green signs in the heavy weather and smiled as I make out the words.

** MALIBU CITY LIMITS **

** POP 13.000 ELEV 16 **

**_ OFFICIAL SANCTUARY CITY _ **

**_ "Cheap Nannies and Gardeners Make Malibu Great! (Boyle Heights Not So Much)" _ **

It's all going plan. And nothing can ruin that!

* * *

**Charlotte's POV**

_The full moon wasn't out yet, but by the time_ _Lewis_ _and_ _I_ _got the waterfall, I could feel the energy buzzing throughout the island, buzzing in a way I couldn't identify but I felt like the island always had._

_Like it was sentient._

_Lewis pulled out a long piece of rope from between some stones (placed there to make getting there easier) and tied them around to a nearby tree before handing the other end to me._

_"Ladies first?" he offered chivalrously._

_"Every man for himself," I smirked. He made a fake pout before tugging on it and made his way down the hole. As soon as I heard a thump and "ALL CLEAR" from the bottom, I grabbed the rope and shimmed down as best as I could._

_The drop never gets any easier. Perhaps that's why the girls always take the underwater entrance. I could have done the same, too, but I guess since it was Lewis's date, I'd follow his path this time._

_Once I unceremonially dropped in, I felt a pair of hands, easily recognizable to be Lewis's, help me up and dust me off. He had a wide smirk on his face and I rolled my eyes._

_"Not a word," I said. He raised his hands in his defense._

_"I have nothing worth saying," he started, "C'mon, the others are waiting!"_

_Grabbing my hand in his, we started walking rather hastily into the cave entrance where I saw something I never expected._

_The entire cave was filled in decorations! Streamers and candles filled in careful areas so water could run through the cave walls, balloons were placed on the ground, where I spied the girls, dressed in party clothes, sitting on top of a large blanket surrounded by food and in the center, a projector._

_"HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!" they screamed. I covered my mouth in shock as I cried and rushed over, engulfing them into one, big hug. I couldn't help but notice that true to Lewis's words, Cleo was wearing a locket with a purple gem on it._

_"You guys!" I chocked as I pulled back. "You didn't have to go all the way out!"_

_"Technically, Cleo did this for our last anniversary, so you have her to thank," Rikki quipped. Emma shoved her._

_"Even if it's true, she enlisted your help and you did, so you're as much to thank as I am," Emma retorted before turning back to me. "It may be 2 years for us, but it's your first, so it made sense to go all out for you!"_

_I turned to Lewis, who was leaning against the cave entrance with his arms folded, giving me a fond smile._

_"Did you know about this!?" I exclaimed._

_"Pretty much, but with the dangers of having 3 pissed off mermaids on my case, I decided to keep my mouth shut," he joked. Getting up, I went and hugged him, which he happily returned._

_"I love you, Charlotte," he whispered into my ear._

_I froze. This had to be a dream. An everloving dream I never wanted to wake up from. Is he serious?_

_I slowly pulled away and looked at him carefully._

_"I thought you weren't going to say it unless the timing felt right?" I asked, feeling a little uncertain._

_"Yes," he admitted, "I did say that. But I also promised I would when I got there. And watching the look on your face did it for me. You're loved, Charlotte, and you deserve to know that. No matter what."_

_Feeling tears fill in my eyes, I grasped his face and planted one on him and hugged him again. That was the most precious thing anyone has ever said to me..._

_But for all my elation...it didn't feel right._

_Pulling back again, I grabbed his hand and pulled him to sit with me and the girls. I gave them my best smile, but I had a feeling they weren't buying it._

_"So, what's with the projector?" I asked._

_"Well, we're starting a little tradition of sorts. Last year, I made a video - mainly photographs taken during the year- to commemorate our times together. This time, with Rikki and Lewis's help, I changed it up. Still photographs, but we got a little underwater video footage to boot," Cleo explained, smiling._

_"But wouldn't our tails get caught on film?" I asked._

_Emma shook her head. "We had a lot of time to edit, just in case someone did get their hands on it. Now relax, this is our party, so let's celebrate!"_

_I watched them turn on some music and turn on the projector and suddenly, our best moments projected themselves above the moon pool. I leaned against Lewis and snuggled up next to him as we watched._

_The girls weren't lying: The footage did look well edited to keep the Secret. And I should feel content with it, I DID feel content! I had a good day, a great date, the girls threw a fantastic party, and Lewis told me he loved me!_

_So why did it feel so wrong?_

* * *

**3rd POV**

When Laguna's first awoke to consciousness, the first thing she noticed was that it was dark.

For a moment, she was worried that she was dead. To be fair, it wouldn't be so surprising since she should have been dead years ago. And definitely, considering she's lived for more than one lifetime.

But the timing was regrettably, for lack of better words, crappy, and honestly felt the irony that the one moment she needed, time, she was out of it!

Then, she remembered that Jonathan was with her and felt dread building up in her. Oh, she hoped he survived. She'll admit for taking a lot of things for granted during her quest for Ane'lie, and it hurt painfully so, but for all its purposes, he needed to live.

If she was leaving her daughter behind, she did not want to leave her with a widow and her children fatherless. It wasn't right to put her through that as a child and they didn't deserve it too! Not her grandson nor her unborn granddaughter!

And what happens with her gone? Will Charlotte ever regain control in time? What if she never does? Once again, Laguna found herself hoping that Jonathan lived, even if it was the end of the world, or at least California to start with, perhaps he can get to Karen in time and they somehow survive this.

That was an actual somewhat flattering thought.

She would stay here, waiting for HIM. The Reaper, the one figure that would take her to the afterlife, where she knew, without a doubt, there was a vacant spot long waiting for her.

_"Wake up..."_

_..._

Or perhaps he got here sooner than she thought.

...

" _Wake up..._ "

...

And why did he sound so much like Jonathan? She highly hoped he wasn't the one to help her cross over. But then again, given their initial dislike for each other at first, the irony wouldn't be lost on her if he did.

...

"WAKE UP LAGUNA!"

I jolted at the booming voice, this time, actually opening my eyes, realizing they had been closed this whole time. the first thing she notices was the pouring rain. She looks around to see she was sitting outside the car, sirens blaring around her as she saw two other cars and an ambulance, the passengers looking worse for wear.

And then, to her biggest relief, she saw Jonathan standing in front of the car, swearing like a sailor.

It only took a moment's notice for him to see that she was awake and quickly rushed to help her up.

The first thing Laguna said to him was, "I thought we died."

Jonathan snorted bitterly. "I almost wish we had, given the newest inconvenience now."

Giving him a confused look, he led her to the front of the car that had him cursing and swore herself.

The van was completely wrecked! From the engine to the side of the car, where Laguna sat, the exterior was scratched up and torn off, a wheel was missing and the engine itself looks like it had been hit head-on with no future repairs able to bring it back to life.

She dropped my head into her hands. This could not be happening.

"We're cursed," Laguna groaned miserably. "We are officially cursed."

"Not going to lie: This car is done for. Luckily, I have insurance for a new one, if we survive the night," he bemoaned. "There's no way we can make it to the boat. And there's absolutely no way in the 9 Circles of Hell that Karen is sailing off without us. Not with the baby due, assuming she's been a trooper for her mother, and especially with Brendan as her only company. I don't care if I have to hotwire and steal, we are getting to that boat!"

I turned to him. "And how will we do that!? We have no car, and the roads are shutting down due to the storm. Marana almost always ensures that a large population is at her mercy! We literally need a miracle to happen as we speak!"

Drenched from head to toe, watching the ambulances leave with the other victims of the crash (Jonathan assured them that they would be fine), it was as if one obstacle to the next was hindering them from any actual progress to be made.

But Laguna wasn't going to give up. She needed to get to Charlotte, be there whether she wakes up or she dies trying, she would NEVER leave her alone again.

That was a promise.

But when all seemed lost, in the darkness of the night, a light flickered behind them. Laguna looked up and thought it was a flicker of her imagination.

But then the light appeared again, and as it got brighter and brighter, the light turned into two, and before the old mermaid and her son-in-law realized it, a bus rolled up in front of them. And once the bus opens its doors, there were greeted by an unfamiliar sight.

There, standing in front of the driver, equally soaked to the bone as they were, was the familiar light brown coat of a very distinguished pit bull.

"Thomas?" they asked simultaneously.

WOOF!

There was a snort behind him and they looked up to the driver behind the wheel.

"Ah, great! You know this damn mutt too!" the driver said, smiling. "Well, dare I say it, you fellows seem to be in a bit of a pickle here. So, I guess I should introduce myself. My name's Phil and I'm glad to make your acquaintance!"


	52. The Storm-Part 6

_**Heading to the Marina...** _

**Laguna's POV**

I've never been one to believe in miracles. Or count my blessings. Or that there were such things as Luck.

But what I did believe in was the power of free will. Second chances.

But if I contemplated it, an idea of what a miracle looked like has various forms from my various (failed) attempts. It was usually in the form of saving Ane'lie as one of her many lives, defeating Marana or perhaps, a moment of peace since I took that oath!

And yet, here I was, with Jonathan, sitting on a public bus with Charlotte's dog and a bus driver who knows Ane'lie...

As I sat beside my son-in-law, who was anxiously looking out the window and into the stormy weather, I questioned if I'd gone mad! I was soaked to my skin, the bus heater giving me a blanket of warmth that was a sharp contrast to the cold weather that was unnaturally brewing outside.

I can not possibly believe this is our only hope.

"So, I'm on the late shift, right? Yeah, I was pulling one of my last few stops tonight when the storm starts. At first, it seemed like nothing. I've seen storms come and go before. But by the last stop, the last person took _one_ step outside and nearly got flushed away by the storm! After that, it was almost as if the Great Flood was on its way and we were sitting ducks since there was no Ark to get on and don't get me started on the winds!" Phil explained. "So after that, I drove the remaining passengers to the nearest station and let them out, warning them to get to some shelter if they could. Normally, I'd hightail myself out with them, but I decided that the best I could do with a bus was rescue any other stragglers caught out in the storm, such as yourselves. Well, technically, it's a protocol, but still my choice!

But there I was driving up the dark road, the only source of light coming from my headlights, lightning, and the lights from within this bus on my side when, out of nowhere, I nearly crash when I swerved to the side! And because of THAT, the damn emergency airbag exploded in my face! Once I got it down, I looked out of the windshield to see what I nearly hit and dammit! That mutt is standing right there, in the middle of the street, drenched to the bone! I swear if I wasn't wondering why Charlotte left him out like that, I would have turned on my engine and ran right over him!

But seriously, I don't get what he was doing running around. I know I hadn't seen his owner in months, but I know he's more of a bodyguard to her than a pet!"

My eyes shifted to the dog sitting beside me, upright on his hind legs, mouth open like he wasn't even sorry for his dangerous entrance!

"He must have broken out," Jonathan suggested.

Phil nodded. "Yeah, I thought so too. I might've been understanding if this storm was already coming in and he was let out to beat the storm, but I know that isn't the case and there would be no way in Hell Charlotte would have left him behind. So my next thought was that he was trying to track her down. He probably knows the neighborhood as well as she does by now."

He's right about that. For all I understood between Charlotte and her dog, she had rescued him from homelessness and he's done nothing but stay by her side. Even coming to her rescue whenever she was stuck in her tail, sniffing her out if he was nearby.

Now that I think about it, I outta slap myself! I've lived all this time on land and forget how sensitive animals are to the supernatural! If anyone would have known about Marana's current occupation in Charlotte's body, it would be the loyal pet that stands by her!

"Now," Phil started, bringing me out of my musing, "If I had any decent sanity left in me, I should have hightailed it by now. Yet, here I am, driving far beyond my bounds for two people who know my former passenger, in this godforsaken weather leaving me to ask myself one question: Why are you two heading to some boat near the ocean, the last place anyone wants to be in a hurricane!?"

At this, Jonathan and I stared at each other reluctantly. At this point, regardless of the bus driver would be in the know or not, it would be a long story to tell...

* * *

**_At Point Dume Beach..._ **

**Marana's POV**

Upon passing the sign and arriving at my destination, I quickly ditched the car, in the parking lot slipped off the shoes I wore and continued onward from there on the beach. The fierce, chilly winds combined with the claps of thunder made the terror unleashed all the more satisfying at my disposal. Angry flashes of lightning flared frequently across the night sky and the rushing rain sprayed deliciously across Ane'lie's skin as I continued my rather hastened walk to the cliffs.

I looked out to the distance at any sight of life and was met with the rather-distanced sounds of sirens, punding alarms, screams and panic were music to my ears as I smirked to myself once at my recent accomplishments. The storm clouds seemed to share my sadistic glee as it increased the ferocity of its powers of vengeance and anger, sending lightning bolts onto the unsuspecting land dwellers, increasing more fright and panic amongst their own! I bit back my laughter at this.

Humanity may have gotten smarter over the many, _many_ years since I last surfaced, but they always fall by the same weaknesses: Power, Jealousy, and the Fear of things beyond their control.

A normal night of festivities turned major hurricane? My best work yet.

It was no surprise that Laguna couldn't stop me in time. Tonight was **MINE**! Everything fell in my favor. So what if I couldn't kill a hundred or so people in one night? To be honest, I'd been doing mass sacrifices for so long, it'd had become a habit. Yes, there is, without a doubt, power in Death. And yes, that power would further fuel my storm, especially on one of the most spiritual nights of the year, but there are always more.

More souls to collect.

And everyone is ripe for the picking.

It didn't matter if I failed in the beginning. There's more to come. I'm just getting started and everyone will feel my wrath.

I stepped onto the steps of a rusted, metal stairway. I didn't have to do anything but flick my wrist as the water floated off the steps as I walked down, bead by bead until it was floating around me in a blanket of minuscule helixes covering and absorbing me from the tropical storm heading this way. I gazed into the ocean as it roared mightly, it waves growing more viciously within one after the next. What was left behind with each step, my bare feet kissed the chilled yet welcoming embrace of the saltwater soaking into my soles until I continued onto my path.

I debated on checking on my sister but decided against it. It was bad enough that she could feel me near but after her initial visit with her late grandmother, I found myself working overtime to ensure she didn't continue in the train of thought that would wake her up. I did not doubt that Ms. Williams did enough of a job that Ane'lie recognized her. So thus I pulled out the big guns: I pulled out the so-called Love Card from her former flame. I recognized a few things from the memories of my little spies following those pretenders around, and how they managed to keep the adults around them ignorant I'll never understand, so reenacting small moments they had and shifting pieces around so she'd be apart of them wasn't too hard. Sealed away or not, Ane'lie would get the best.

And then, I found myself here. Not too far from my right, sat a secluded beach that was underwater due to the crashing waves. I smiled to myself, recalling the presence of my dear sister and Williams when they found the pool. It took me a long time and years to cultivate that cave, stealing from many sea caves and other moon pools to get the powers required. I knew what I was doing was under pure speculation, crafting such a thing that developed long before my kind even graced the seas. But I had my work cut out for me, and when I used a certain _southern enchantment song_ to lure my sister to this coast, waiting for her enter my cave I created just for her, watching from a distance as she stood at the edge of my pool and dived right in...

All my hard work paid off when she transformed. Luckily, Laguna and her family had done the grunt work for me. All I had to do was finish what I started. From all the times she had spaced out, the night I gave her back that tail was when I knew I had a hold on her- a thin hold, but one nonetheless. The picture I saved was placed right where I knew she could get it in one of her trances. And when she was falling apart, I had all the tools I needed to have her consent.

My plan worked full-proof and these moments were its born fruit. My only regret is that I didn't work twice this hard to gain the trust of the other girls in the past as I am now.

Mankind's treatment of women had always led to some downfall when you want them to act like submissives. No wonder some of my kind showed compassion when female land dwellers were thrown off ships and left to die in the past. And leave it to my sister to be so easily misled by the time I got to her. There were times those storms were even payback!

I didn't blink an enormous wave crashed against the edge of the cliff where I stood and washed down on me. I welcomed it. I welcomed the storm clouds as the pained towards the center of the ocean. I welcomed the winds that followed my every command. I welcomed the fear and devastation that awaited the insects I was forced to walk upon.

I leaned Ane'lie's body ahead, spread my arms wide as if to embrace the wonderful dangers of the deep seas with open arms. I closed my eyes and fell into place with my spirit in preparations for my descent.

And then...

**_I jumped off._ **

* * *

_**Back on the Bus...** _

**3rd POV**

"So lemme get this straight: Charlotte's a mermaid. Twice over? She had it, and then she lost it, and now she has it again?"

"Yes."

"And she's a reborn one that usually dies killing people, including herself?"

"A very blunt way of putting it, but yes."

"And TWICE, I brought her close enough to this magic pool where I WATCHED her leave and become a mermaid afterward!?"

"Yes. But not your fault."

"And now Charlotte isn't Charlotte at the moment, but an evil witch pretending to be her?"

"Yes."

"And this, the storm of the century I'm driving you through is all her doing, will most likely kill thousands of people as we speak?!"

"If we don't get to her in time? Yes," Jonathan finishes, unnerved yet feels satisfying pleased that this stopped man stopped his inane questioning.

"That's it! This is my fault! I just couldn't have dropped her off at a movie theatre that day, but NO! Phil Jenkins just had to play the Devil's Advocate and send her headfirst towards Hell!" Phil despaired, struggling to drive in the torrential weather with his mind now blown.

Now questioning the misuse of the term, Laguna tried to soothe him, "If it's any consolation, Mar-"

"No!" Phil stopped right there. "I don't want its name. Just stick to the 'Witch' for me, ok?"

Shrugging in indifference, she nodded. "Alright. If it helps, the 'Witch' could have gotten to her no matter where she was. It was just...Timing, that's all."

"I don't care how you see it! The poor girl was depressed and became a living puppet because no one could help her! One way or another, that's on me if she isn't herself again by the end of this night!" he stated.

"Well, you know what, Mr. Jenkins? Regardless of the circumstances, I'm glad you agreed to drive us to the rest of our family. But considering what we've told you-"

"Told me what?" he interrupted, feigning innocence. "Listen, I'm all being the mode of transportation for a rescue mission and all, and if everything goes well, Charlotte will NEVER pay a bus fare from me as long as she lives, but after this: I. DON'T. KNOW. NOTHING! You can keep your magic, your fancy tails- no pun intended- and all those doohickies that come with it. No siree, after this, I'm just your ignorant bus driver whose happy with all the things his mama brought him into this world with and I'm gonna stay that way!"

"Oh, thank God!" Jonathan praised, happy to avoid a hurdle while they could. "Then we'll consider this an act of good faith. To be honest, I'm surprised you believe us in the first place."

"Now listen here," Phil explained, "there are only a few things I believe in. The first is God. Second is Heaven and Hell because...C'mon! Good and bad can't exist without each other and we all go somewhere for the Ultimate Great Review when we die! The third is cryptids, especially the Loch Ness Monster. There's no doubt about it that something is lurking in that loch. And last of all...Aliens. I won't apologize for it. Our solar system is just too big for us to be the only planet with life!"

As the driver continued ranting, Jonathan leaned closer to Laguna and whispered silently, "Well I walked right up to that one, didn't I?"

"I'm a mermaid. Is it that much of a stretch?" she whispered back, keeping her eyes on the bus driver.

"Point taken."

"And while the first and second should be combined into one category," Phil continued, oblivious to their side conversation. "Here's how I'm hearing it: Obviously, there's a Higher Power at work here. Charlotte, or to be more specific, Charlotte's **_soul_ **has probably never touch Heaven nor Hell since it got stuck in this so-called cycle. So she's living all these lives, leading so many memories, only to get snuffed before she's lived and it's stuck on repeat. Now, take in mind the periods, including her First, she's been a good girl. She's done what's she's told, whether it's from a human being or the Witch itself. But now, this time, something's off. This one is different from the rest. Why?"

Jonathan spoke up first, "At first, we figured it has something to do with her Ancestry. Unlike her mother, her grandmother was in her place minus everything else. And she willingly gave up her tail. And then Charlotte made some... _questionable_ decisions that would start and lead to the same fate as that."

Phil seems to nod at that answer.

"Now add that into the equation: Her soul has been on repeat, and the same can be said for her loved ones. She's born human, gets turned into a fish, and dies. And then she's born again and dies. Human, fish, human, fish, born, dies, born, dies...essentially Life and Death. No afterlife whatsoever. But let's assume her family life was this: They were born humans with not a single drop of the magic blood in 'em, yet they get her and suffer. Now ain't that somethin'. Yet this time, she gets a human mother with a magic grandma (and I don't care if she gave it up! Once you touch magic, you can't wash it off!) with a history of the very thing her Fate's tied with. She learns this, becomes it earlier than planned, she gets selfish and has to be removed of it to get her head out her ass. Now, she's feeling guilty and it hurts her. Did the crime, has to pay the time. So, she learns and realizes she needs to be happy with what she's got and now we got the present time.

All this put together, what does that picture tell you?" he asked.

They just sat there in silence, not getting it.

Phil rolled his eyes. "Oh, for Pete's sake, Divine Intervention! If her granny hadn't been in the position to dabble in magic and happily gave it up, then Charlotte would've been living the same story just as she's unknowingly done before! Granny becomes part of this secret race, right in her teen years, the most formative years of her life, I might add! Considering the type of times the 60s were she needed to think about her future. And she did. Despite what her friends felt, she loved her tail but she chose to never let that influence her life. And what about Family? Why should they be affected by her Secret? So, she gave it up and moved on with her life!

Years later, it turns out she's happy being human, that her future family would be normal and experience the same, ignorant fate everyone else has! Myths are myths and it stays that way. She turns her past into children's stories and bonds with her grandkid and said grandkid finds out much later her stories were true and tries (and fails) to emulate her. That one difference changed the game! Grandma had to be a fish and inspire her to set off these chains of events!

My idea is that the good Lord is on Charlotte's side. He knew her fate, that unless something changed, everything would repeat itself, so he starts his Great Plan early and just happens to correctly pick whose family she'd eventually be born to and decided that her soon-to-be grandmother should have fun with a little taste of what her one-day granddaughter would have. Then, he puts said grandmother through a series of tests to show her that magic ain't what it's cracked up to be. You know the saying, '"To gain somethin', you gotta lose something"'. And it works! She realizes rather quickly that it doesn't have to be this way, so she gives it up. And the good Lord's happy because, and he's counting on this, even if she takes her magic days to the graves, she won't see the harm of telling her grandkid, the soul he's trying to help, her tales, which stay stuck on her until...basically, everything happens. And now here we go, trying to save her, and you're trying to help, and you're also telling me that to save her, she must save herself first. Break the glass ceiling. Shatter the mirror. Fight for dominance.

Don't you see: This storm represents Charlotte's struggle to be good or bad. It's Judgement Day. Or more specifically, Charlotte's Judgement Day. This storm is an embodiment of all the sins her soul has carried over, and her grandmother's choices actions plus her own has provided the girl with all the tools she needed. The Living she judges are the lives at risk. The Dead, in speaking, is her past lives that she'll have to confront. And the judgment itself is whether or not she succumbs to her sins or chooses to rise above is just the way God intended it to be. He gave her room to forge a new path, so now she just needs to prove she's willing to use her provided tools and talents to make that path!"

...

...

...

The aftermath of Phil's passionate religious explanation was met with immediate stillness. Both passengers didn't know how to answer that, or even really what to say until Jonathan leaned into Laguna's ear.

"It's official: He's a nutjob. We need to get off this bus," Jonathan whispered critically in a deadpan expression.

"I don't know," Laguna pondered. He snapped his head towards her, incredulous.

"He's calling Charlotte, Jesus. How does that not ring any warning bells!?" he silently whispered incredulously. Laguna turned to him with a sharp expression on her face.

"Hey, I may have lived a long time, but not that long ago that I know what happened with Jesus Christ and what's true and what's not!" she chastised. "Everyone is entitled to their beliefs and if he's seeing parallels with the Bible and our situation, we are not to judge! Besides, let him have this since he wants to remain ignorant afterward...And this is coming from the man who wants to baptize his daughter!"

Jonathan scoffed. "Hey, in my youth, just because I'm not religious doesn't mean I don't acknowledge certain things happening at strangely convenient times. Like the odds of this bus coming to our time of need! If there is an Upstairs, baptizing my daughter just gives me a hint of relief that she can get there better! And don't tell me you believe in this nonsense!?

"I have read the Holy Bible at some point, yes. But whether or not I believe it, books always hold some truth. And if some of the stuff he's saying is some level of the truth... Tonight's being Judgment Day isn't a major understatement," Laguna declared.

"I CAN HEAR YOU TWO!" Phil exclaimed, keeping both eyes and one hand on the wheel to point an accusing finger at them with the other hand. "You have what you believe and I'll have mine. Don't judge!"

"We're not judging!" Laguna promised. "By the way, how long until we get to the marina?"

Phil shrugged. "Depends on what I should look out for. Anyone supposed to meet you there?"

"Yes," Jonathan answered. "My wife and son. They lived closer, so they'll be there."

Laguna tried not to show her surprise. Logically, claiming Brendan as he would gain sympathy and hopefully speed up this ride. However, for whatever reasons he and Brendan's estranged relationship, he never hesitated to be the father the boy needed when it counts.

However, it wasn't long until the landscape changed and Phil pulled up to a building that said _**Paradise Bound Yacht Charters**_. Ironically enough, a place that rents boats out just so happens to be the permanent home to a boat that will never be rented out to one family: The Coves (though nobody believes Laguna doesn't have some link to the marina!)

The moment Phil found a decent spot to halt the bus, the moment he opened the door, the rain came pounding in like an assault rifle firing in multiple places, soaking everyone! Undeterred, Thomas didn't even hesitate flying out into the storm! His little feet practically a blur as the dog sped towards the boats.

"If he gets carried away to sea, I hold no responsibility," Phil stated, watching the animal disappear. "Alrighty here, folks, this is where I leave you. I don't know why you need to get on a boat and not anywhere near safety. But I do have one final warning: We make it out alive after this, I don't know anything. You hear?"

Jonathan all but practically gave the driver a thumb up before he jumped off the bus and ran into the downpour. Laguna quickly nodded and muttered a sentiment of gratitude before following. the old mermaid didn't bother looking back as she held out her hands and created a makeshift shield, parting the rain out of her way as she dashed to the yacht.

Laguna had a mission to execute.

The yacht in question belongs to her. As I had a long time to learn how to balance financial needs (without giving away her longevity), one of her now-late children suggested she get one in case she had to go out to see, as a human with witnesses. She never cared for boats, but she's never been more grateful to had invested in one.

Laguna didn't see Jonathan but followed the sounds of a dog barking until she arrived at the boat. It was a 2001 white and blue motorboat with two levels. She climbed up the stern and headed below deck, where she found Thomas pacing about, a panicked grandson and even more troubled son-in-law standing outside a cabin. Following their gazes, she rushed inside to see Karen lying under the covers of the bed, curled up onto her side while holding her stomach. She was sweating buckets and who knew how long her contractions had started.

Laguna didn't even have to ask as she was n stranger to that familiar position in her long existence.

She was in labor.

"Karen!" she started towards her but stopped by a raspy tone taking command of the situation.

"NO!" she yelled. "I'll be fine, Mother. Just start this boat already and get out to sea. Remember our talk about Marana and patterns. Well, if she's already in the ocean by now! Brendan, give Jon the keys so he can start and Mother, you follow him! We can't waste any more time."

Not a moment afterward, she groaned in pain and held her stomach. Doing as his mother said, Brendan gave Jonathan the keys and headed back up to the deck, Laguna following. As much as it hurt her, Karen refocused Laguna's goal as she headed back up to the cockpit, more than thankful to the glass hardtop that narrowly avoided getting drenched in the rain. Jonathan put the key into the ignition. Hearing the strong purring, Jonathan grabbed the helm and told Laguna to hold on tight as he backed the boat out of the docks and soon enough, dove into open waters.

Now, it was only a race to get to the center of the storm before it was too late.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And for any religious people reading this, I wrote this MONTHS ago and felt it was too good NOT to keep. I respect all religions, so please don't feel offended or hat this story just because I mentioned religion here.


	53. Breaking the Ice - Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alright, for the idea of Julia's story, I took inspiration from 3 things:
> 
> 1\. From one of my favorite authors, A.L Knorr, and her siren books, particularly from her series, Mira's Return, which is a trilogy prequel series to one of her Elemental Origins stories, Born of Water, and the series following that story, The Siren's Curse Trilogy.
> 
> 2\. From H2O Wikia, who confirmed that each hemisphere had mermaid pods, but unfortunately deleted which possible countries in those hemispheres mermaid pods reside in.
> 
> 3\. A now-deleted H2O fic I believe was called Nomadic Mermaids, in which all 4 canon mermaids find themselves stuck as mermaids, new power upgrades, and different colored tails and choose to travel the world. If anyone knows this fic or the author, tell me so I can properly credit them!

_**Charlotte's POV** _

_Have you ever felt like something was wrong but weren't sure what?_

_An ominous shadow, intangible but pronounced, a warm, summer day where the ever-present breeze swiftly flushes into a turbulent of a drowning hurricane._

_A constant presence of which only I can be aware of if I acknowledge its darkness._

_As I watched my friends around me. Rikki and Emma were conversing as Cleo and Lewis had left to clean up from the party, t_ _he phrase, "If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is", comes to mind. It was getting pretty late and the full moon was on the rise, but that wasn't what was wrong._

_After the party, Cleo said that that the fun wasn't over yet and that tonight, during the "special" was going to happen, and I would effectively be apart of it, like a Rite of Passage._

**_Flashback_...**

**"Rites of Passage?" I asked after the video ended. Cleo had gotten up and quickly called for me and the girls' attention.**

**"Exactly," Emma nodded. "You see, it's no secret that before you got here, we'd have crazy experiences during the Full Moon. Cleo was a literal Siren, I was, as I was told, a carefree version of myself that was stuck in my tail for a whole night. And as for Rikki, she was Charlie McGee in Firestarter!"**

**Rikki snorted. "Real classy, Em. But you forget unlike her, I had no control whatsoever that day. Want proof? Ask Zane! It took him a while to recover from that inside-out sunburn I gave him that night!"**

**I snapped her head towards Rikki. That was the first I'd heard of this. "Wait! What!? How did you burn Zane from the inside out?"**

**All the fiery mermaid just did was give me a mischievous expression** **on her face and winked. Sometimes, even after earning her respect, she still scares me.**

**"It's a long story!" Cleo interjected. "But basically, things happen during our first year and we try not to judge each other for that. Kind of like your first full moon."**

**I couldn't help but wince on the inside. How could I forget?**

* * *

**It was practically after I terrorized Nate (still no regrets). We had been on the outs and arguing, and to be frank, I was being a bitch about it and nearly ruined Lewis's birthday. And following, I and Cleo had a huge fight and I wasn't in the best mental state, not even knowing she almost ran away because of it. But when my first full moon hit, the girls had tried to warn me that this one was dangerous and that I needed to be with them that night. But I was being petty and ignored them (and may or may not have lifted Rikki in the air when she pissed me off) and still got moonstruck that night.**

**I didn't remember much that next day, only that I was tied up in one of the girls' garages with them sleeping around me in sleeping bags. When they woke up, Cleo was the first to rush towards me and hug me, saying "Thank God you're okay", while the other two untied me. And what I heard made me sick:**

**I had damn near flooded Emma's house and tried to lure them into the moon pool. It was the annual 50th -year full moon that took away my grandmother's tail and I tried to take their tails as well, calling myself a Supermermaid, which was just plain ridiculous! They almost took my tail until Lewis intervened and declared that this was pointless. We were only fighting because I did something reckless, and they were being hypocritical since they had done similar things in the past. It was no point trying to seem like I was the bad guy when we all were guilty of doing something that put us at risk and endangered the Secret.**

**According to Emma, she realized that he was right. I did nothing but al least try to befriend them and at the very least, they didn't meet me halfway.**

**"It makes no sense punishing you if we're just as guilty for putting you in this position anyway," Emma had said.  
**

**I looked around and recognized the sincerity in their eyes. Emma had been genuine, Cleo had looked like the clouds had finally cleared from her eyes, and Rikki begrudgingly admitted defeat. And almost like a switch, the moment the moon pool stopped bubbling (signaling the end of the alignment), I felt like I was centered again and started brawling my eyes out.**

**They all hugged me and I realized: I didn't have to be alone...**

**..**

* * *

**"Char...Charlotte!?"**

**I jumped out of my flashback and blushed awkwardly now that I was back at the party again.**

**"Sorry, dozed off. Now, what were you saying?" I asked hastily, instantly backing out of my flashback. I was never proud of the past, but it felt good to** **at least** **not be burdened by it.**

**I noticed Rikki raised an eyebrow but let Cleo continue. "One way or another, the first year of being a mermaid gets pretty insane, but thankfully, it gets better. Like being able to control yourself during a full moon!"**

**"So, if I can control myself now, what does it have to do with this so-called '" _rites of passage_ "' you're talking about?" I wondered.**

**And that's when Lewis's eyes twinkled in amusement, pulling a bag I hadn't noticed out** **,** **and revealing a bound diary to hand to Cleo, who handed it to me.**

**I opened the first few pages and started flipping through until I came across a familiar name.**

**"... _Julia Walker..._?! Wait!? Is this _the_ Julia!? The one Gracie and Louise were friends with!?" I inquired, now fully immersed in the diary itself.**

**Funny how it always comes back to diaries, huh?**

**I heard Rikki laugh. "Yeah. We already know about Louise Chatham, and thanks to you, what happened to Gracie, so it left me a little curious as to what happened to Julia."**

**"But didn't she die of old age too? After all, you found her locket after it had been put up in an estate sale. How did you guys manage to find her diary?" I asked.**

**"That's because we tracked it down," I heard Lewis behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist. "We went back to the jewelry guy who had it first, and after a little convincing, manage to find a relative of hers who kept the journal. Funny enough, he was her brother and admitted to selling her stuff since he was in a bit of a jam for quick cash. Anyways, he recognized Rikki's locket right off the back, said he almost kept it for his granddaughter but didn't exactly say why he had to sell it. However, he did keep her diary but as a storybook for his grandkids because, frankly, everything she wrote felt like something out of a fairy tale."**

**I snapped my head up, looked at him, and back to the journal to keep reading until I knew what he meant.**

**"Are you saying she...she wrote about the Secret?!" I gasped. "And he didn't suspect anything?"**

**"Well, we'll know when her grandniece is old enough to get here," Lewis muttered under his breath. And I didn't know why, but I felt the intensive urge to smack him.**

**He raised his hands in defense. "Hey, you found this place! Why not her?"**

**"That's only because you guys suck at lying and we're so blatantly obvious that only the truest form of human ignorance didn't see right through you...That and the fack you constantly underestimate modern technology," I smiled cheekily, grabbing his cheek to kiss it.**

**I turned my head in time to see Rikki mimic a vomit at us. She claimed that** **he and I** **are worse than when he and Cleo were dating. I don't doubt it.**

**"Besides the point," I started, pulling my eyes back to the diary, "are you guys sue we won't get any unsuspecting visitors after your visit?"**

**"Nope, the guy was as clueless as to the '" _truest form of human ignorance_ "' could get," Rikki started. "Now keep reading!"**

**Waving my hand away at her, I continued. I had already passed the part where the 50s mermaids split ways, but though she never gave up her powers, she stated she stopped using them so much (HA! Like we could get Rikki to do that!). But here's what's surprising: The next entry wasn't for a few years. Around 1963-64, she started writing again, detailing her hiatus right where she left off...Tonight, October 31st, 1959.**

* * *

_**She just happened to be in the cave alone when the moon pool started bubbling and she hopped in, figuring it couldn't be a repeat of Gracie so soon. But that's this full moon was different. She could feel it. She described it as feeling "bound" and "intimate" as if she never felt closer to the ocean than she had for the last 2 years. When it was over, she continued to swim around the island until she got tired and dragged herself unto the beach to dry. Like Rikki, Julia used her powers to dry her tail until...** _

_**Nothing happened.** _

_**She kept drying and drying herself until she felt like a baked fish in the oven! But her legs weren't coming back.** _ **_Julia didn't hesitate to go to Max and Louise for help, but they were at a loss._ **

**This was sounding like the complete opposite of the Eclipse where the girls had to lose their tails to get a scientist off their radar, but similar to when Emma told me she got stuck in her tail and more like the incident Rikki just mentioned!**

_**Julia had chosen to wait it out for weeks until the next Full Moon. She was mostly island-bound, with only Louise and Max to keep her company while darting the fishermen that came around. But the isolation wasn't without benefits. She was in awestruck of the ocean and its mysteries, finding a new appreciation for its depts and its secrets. But no matter much she had come to respect it, she still looked forward to having her legs again.** _

**_But unfortunately, it wasn't meant to be. When the next Full Moon appeared, she immersed herself in the moonlight, describing it between_ _"_ _euphoria_ _"_ and _"_ _delirium_ _",_ _but found herself still stuck in her tail. Sadden but determined not to keep herself from feeling marooned, she had decided: She would traveling the seas._**

_**Max and Louise tried to talk her out of it, but Julia didn't see the point. She had no idea if she'll ever regain her tail, her family was continuously searching for her, and she had these special abilities that could only go so far on land. And she didn't even want to risk being discovered on Mako! She had written a letter to her family (a rather pathetic one, she admitted) that she had gone away and had no idea when, but** **she fully** **intends to** **return** **. It was all she could say or do, hopeful that if she ever returned, she could repair the damage she'd inevitably left behind.** _

_**Saying goodbye to her only friends, the ones who knew where she was, Julia set out to journey the open oceans. The only thing she had brought with her was a compass locket, strung on a chain by Max, to help her find her way home.** _

_**Going deeper and deeper into the journey, her story was astounding! It was no surprise to hear she got ill, stole, and amongst a few other things she regretted doing at the time, but she made up for it with knowledge. Using her heat powers as a tool and a weapon, she was able to live off the ocean and fend for herself. She fed on the sea creatures but also protected them, had a fairly distant relationship with sharks, more than occasionally had to drive off or divert fishermen or tourists to protect her secret, and to my surprise, trusted a few humans with her secret when she was in trouble!** **From her recollection, she progressed to New Zealand, then Fiji, and next traveled north to the Pacific Islands, where she had letters carefully entrusted to be sent home along with souvenirs she procured from destinations she's visited. She was even sure she found more moon pools!** _ **_By the time she made it up to the coasts of Asia seas, she moved onto the Pacific Oceans and made it to...California!_ **

**The mentions of this sent chills up my spine. It was a feeling of dread, but also of...fondness? I didn't know why, but when she got to the part where she mentioned swimming with a pod of dolphins, a picture formed in my head.**

**It was a baby dolphin, and judging by the viewpoint, I was riding it! was strange but so real, but I shook myself out of it. I still hadn't managed to work on my fear, so that was a distant dream!**

**As I kept on reading, despite her numerous adventures, I couldn't help but be sorry for her and her family. Notwithstanding having any control over the outcome, they'd been separated by supernatural means, and only by chance of those letters did they get any solace of Julia's safety. What must have she'd been feeling for all those years? Was she homesick? Did she ever consider turning around and swimming back? She did return, but what to? Somehow, more and more, perhaps I was reading between the lines or maybe I was projecting but...**

**Did she ever understand exactly why Gracie chose the land over the sea?**

_**Following her tour there, she made it to the other side of America after swimming** **-literally- around South** **America, and spending an extended time in the Caribbean Sea, before making her way up to Canada, where she found...** _

* * *

**Before I even realized what I was doing, the diary was thrown from my lap and inches from the moon pool.**

**"Are you serious!?" I shouted out.**

**"HA!" Rikki hollered, pointing at Emma and Lewis. "I _TOLD_ you she'd freak out!"**

**"No fair!" Lewis muttered, reaching into his pocket and pulling out $20. "She was handling everything else swimmingly!"**

**I watched Emma do the same while looking like she was trying her best not to smack that smug look off Rikki's face. Should I be offended or not, I'll save that for later. I had something more pressing on the mind!**

**"Mermaids...She met actual, real mermaids..." I murmured, trying to wrap that around my head. In logistics speaking, it should have been plausible that we weren't alone. A mystical pool like ours, the very idea of there being others like us rang true. But in theory, we always believed the moon pool _made mermaids_ from any human who found it.**

**The idea that the real deal, actual-born mermaids, were out there was mind-boggling...and yet, it felt like total sense. As if an alarm didn't have to ring in my head.**

**Like I already knew this.**

**And that's what unsettles me.**

**Quickly, I scrambled the diary back into my lap and quickly read on from where I left off.**

* * *

_**When Julia came across these mermaids, it was completely by accident. She had met one while saving her from a squid who, in her words, '" Couldn't keep its tentacles to itself"', and with her help, caused it to escape after it squirted ink. Upon reaching the surface to speak, the mermaid yelled at her for harming it so callously, which caused her to retort in saving her life, which resulted in them fighting until others arrived. Initially, they'd believed she was a natural mermaid and asked if she'd been "cast out" by her pod. At the time, she had played along and affirmed it, since, in her eyes, she was cast out of something! From there she'd been welcomed into their pod (a group of mermaids) and allowed them to travel with them further up the North Atlantic. She had trouble keeping up with the lie though, especially when she got sick and sneezed fire! That raised some questions, which resulted in one of them deducing she's from one of the Southern Pods, so colder weather wasn't good for her. Then, came time to display other acts of powers and spells (literal spells), that came only until she felt tired of the lies and guilty enough to admit she's not a born mermaid and her past.** _

_**To put it simply, they didn't take it well and she lost their trust in her as a result. By technically, she should have been cast out but she worked her tail off to prove otherwise! She spent a lot of time trying to regain her trust, that, it was almost a year (she guesses) before they forgave her. She learned plenty about them and when she felt like she had to leave, they offered her a moon ring (and for some reason, said ring only came up** **this** **once as far as the pages go)** **.** **She refused it because she still felt guilty about lying her way into the pod and swore no one else would know of their existence (which is ironic, since I'm reading this!)** **Because they were so knowledgeable about spells before she left, she told them the circumstances of the night she lost her legs. (To my surprise) The mermaids had actual awareness about this alignment and whipped up a green potion to counteract it, before putting it in her compass. She was advised to only open it during a Full Moon once she returned to Mako's moon pool. Anyplace else, and she'd be stuck wherever she ended up human at.** _

**(Safe to say, Julia guarded that locket with life!)**

_**Leaving them, she traveled to cooler waters and ended up in Europe, sojourning there after swimming through the Strait of Gibraltar to the Tyrrhenian Sea, picking up enough Spanish and Italian to last a conversation, in the Mediterranean Sea where she visited Greece (and hinted a secret connection between sirens and mermaids) before turning around and swimming back through the strait and diving down the coasts of North Africa (where she also met the pod of North-East African mermaids off the Gulf of Guinea, who lowkey chased her off... can't help but wonder if those 400 years of slave trade hade something to say about that)** **.** **Upon getting off the tip of South Africa(where this other pod of black mermaids was more friendly despite turbulent waters), she successfully made it back to the Indian Ocean, when after spending years away, she finally made it back to Australia.** _

_**From there, in my interpretation of Julia's homecoming, she scared the crap out of Max! He had been fishing, of course, when Julia grabbed on his fish hook and pulled him into the water in a faux drowning. But he almost nearly drowned himself by screaming and taking saltwater into his lungs! Julia quickly rose him to the surface where he coughed it all up and the reunion was a mix of slight anger and overwhelming happiness that she had returned. Louise ran into her underwater that day and all 3 met at Mako, where they recapped on what had happened while she was gone. Her family got her letters and souvenirs from her travels (her mother keeping a pearl necklace close to her, as intended), awaiting her in her old bedroom. And on Julia's part,** **she filled them all in on what occurred during her undersea tours (without mentioning the presence of born mermaids).** _ **_She chose not to tell them of the potion hidden in her compass to help keep her new secret but told them that she would stay for good now._ **

**_And when asked how she'd stay if she's permanently a mermaid, all she did was say that they'll know when '"..._ _Magic happens at the right place, at the right time_."'**

**(So** **THAT'S** **where Max got it from!)**

_**Because the northern mermaids taught her how to track time using the stars, Julia knew her arrival was just in time for the Full Moon.** **So that night, as she felt the familiar bubbles rise into the night sky with the moon brightly glowing above, she opened her compass and watched as the green potion swirled around her actively in a seaweed-green hued, double-helix as she felt apart of herself separating from her grown-intimacy with her tail, she bound with the ocean gently float away from her until the helix gave away and the moon was no longer above her. And when she looked down...** _

_**Her tail was gone.** _

* * *

**"Wait, so she was tricked? I don't get it," I admitted honestly, though my brain was already hammering out the details.**

**Julia was tricked? In theory, it made sense. She was technically an honorary member of the pod she stayed with (assuming the ring was a part of the initiation), but she still kept her promise at the end.**

**Maybe that was the only way she could have returned home while the mermaids ensured she'd never tell her tale. But if so, did they trusted her to begin with?**

**Ouch, that was a bad question. They did and she lied, but they forgave her and trusted her again. Perhaps...Perhaps, in this case, it was the ONLY way Julia could return home, human again. Talke about having to lose something to gain something!**

**Maybe it was at this point that at least someone in that group understood where my grandmother was going through. I kept reading...**

* * *

_**Julia wasn't angry.** _

_**For one, she didn't want to jump to conclusions. Her tail could return the next day and everything would be fine. According to her Louise and Max, she had been gone for 5 years. How could she had not realized that?** **But then again, she spent more time exploring those days, diving beneath the deepest reefs, befriending watery ecosystem that she will never take for granted again. So perhaps she lost track of time, she had the rest of her life to make up for it!** _

_**The next day, Louise had found Julia sleeping on the cave floor when she arrived through the underwater opening. At first, she was ecstatic to get her best friend back! Julia awoke with her and slowly slipped into the pull beside her, half-expecting to get her tail back.** _

_**But when she resurfaced, and Louise discovered what she had to give up... she cried. Julia wrapped her arms around her best friend's sobs and held her. Julia had spent the rest of the night pondering what she could do if her tail never returned, and realized, quite easily, that it didn't change anything now. So what if she couldn't swim the depths on her terms? She had weathered terrible thunderstorms by herself, even causing them when necessary. She had wandered to places many of her peers have yet to see or never go. She had** **(cautiously)** **met a handful of people and seen extraordinary things, creatures possibly yet to discover, a race never to be discovered. Everything that has happened in the past 5 years, she had been through by herself.** _

_**She felt better. Stronger. Clearer.** _

_**In a way, the Ocean humbled her mind in ways she didn't realize needed humbling. She was just one small fish in a vast ocean. A herring in comparison to a Great Whale.** _

_**It reminded her that no matter how big something may feel, it shall pass. For there will always be something bigger in the grander schemes of life.** _

_**Max came and rowed her back to civilization, where Louise helped her get dry and clean up before she moved on to return to her family. She wasn't expecting a happy reunion. 5 years is a long time to disappear. She knows there will be shouting, mixed with exhausting anger and joy, her letters may not have been enough to assuage their fears. Maybe her father will lock her in the house in hopes it will keep her close. She's had time to accept the possible consequences heading her way.** _

_**Besides, with her newfound maturity aside, perhaps if she had the time, she'll visit Gracie. Max told her, slightly bitter, that she had gotten married to a soldier while she was away. Maybe it's also time to mend the strained friendship, for now, that she could finally understand where Gracie's choice was coming from.** _

* * *

**I finally put the diary down, at least finishing off where Julia's supernatural journey had ended.**

**I find it hard to believe she wrote this with no intention of anyone discovering the truth. Ideally, I can see how her brother thought it would make a good fairytale for his grandkids. Maybe part of her was like Louise, that there was a chance there would be another group of mermaids, and that they'll seek them out one day.**

**And if that's the case...if Julia and Gracie mended their friendship, why wasn't I aware? But then again, she only mentioned seeing Gracie. They might have not gotten the chance at the time, but Julia sounded hopeful enough.**

**I had so many things going through my mind that when I looked up, Lewis and the girls were looking at me expectantly, with knowing smiles and anticipation.**

**"Um...Uh, can I keep this for safekeeping?" I asked, closing the diary and holding it close.**

**"Sure! I had a feeling you'd ask. It's kind of why part of the surprise the girls have going," Lewis said.**

**"Speaking of surprise, not that I don't like it, but what does Julia's story have to do with us? If anything, it sounds like a cautionary tale for staying away from the moon pool when you know something's not right," I stated, getting up on my feet.**

**Rikki groans in the background. "Of course she interprets it that way."**

**Shaking her head at her best friend, Emma decided to beat around the bush. "Look, after we read her diary, we got to thinking,'" _When would a planetary alignment like this happen again?"'_ , and had Lewis do the math. And after he did the math, he told us and noticed how right on time it was."**

**I burrowed my eyebrows in confusion. "Right on time? What are you..."**

**And then it hit me, and the reason behind giving me Julia's diary made all the sense in the world.**

**Furthermore, the look on my face said just as much because Cleo spoke up last.**

**"Yep, that's right. Tonight's the night that very alignment shines down back on Mako Island...Wanna travel the world, mermaid-style?"**

* * *

**_Flashback ends..._ **

_Agreeing felt like the easiest thing I've ever done. I should be happy, excited even! I have all that I want...and yet, I couldn't stop the constant shuddering rolling through my spine that's making me feel like I'm standing in the Arctic Circle rather than in the middle of a tropical island in the southern hemisphere!_

_So let's admit it: I lie better when I'm under pressure!_

_Something's wrong and_ _I didn't know why I felt that way. I was usually a social butterfly and had loads tot alk about, but as the party was winding down, for the first time, I felt confused._

_I quietly moved into a small corner close to the pool and watched on while the time went by. Part of me felt like I should call my mom to check up on her, but electronics always go the fritz whenever something magical is happening in this cave. I found myself being wary of my surroundings and kept to myself._

_But unfortunately, my stealthy escape wasn't so subtle. Rikki and Emma caught sight of me and called out._

_"Charlotte, what are you doing over there!? The party's over here!" Rikki teased._

_"Yes, you're the Guest of Honor for a reason!" Emma reminded. "Feel honored!"_

_Rikki snorted. "You have no idea how lame that just sounded!"_

_"It was not!" Emma argued, sending the two bickerings and giving me an out to get out of the cave. Quickly glancing at the exit in case Lewis and Cleo returned, I rushed to my feet and dove straight into the moon pool!_

_"Charlotte!" I heard the girls' shout, their voices distorting as I swam deeper into the pool. I descended to the bottom and propelled my tail to the underwater exit. I should just swim a few laps around the island to clear my head. Maybe that would help ease my anxiety._

_Once I hit the bottom, I swam towards the open exit, but the minute I hit the space between and found myself pushed back from where I came._

_What the hell?!_

_Shaking my head, I tried to swim past the exit, only to be pushed back again and now this was just plain confusing. So, I swam up just against the barrier, stopping a few inches between, and I pressed my hands against it._

_Immediately, a biting chill caused me to drop my hands as I watched the barrier preventing my exit soundly turn into an icy wall, effectively locking me in._

_It was almost like when back when Emma had confessed to freezing the moo pool to keep me out! I quickly opened my palm and tried heating it, but it wouldn't melt, only in succeeding in heating the water around me to a near boiling point!_

_I tried destroying it with water, hitting my tail against it, and tried launching long icicles at it (believing my ice could break the ice) only for them to shatter, get a glimpse of a crack in the barrier and reinforce itself!_

_Again...What the Hell!?_

_I kept beating and striking against the barrier until my tail went senseless, my arms and hands ached, and my voice was sore from all the screaming I did with one last jet of boiling water that was so heated I wouldn't be surprised if it looked like a hot tub at the surface._

_Nothing I tried was working and brought me back to the same thought: What. The. Hell!?_

_I reascended back to the cave, quickly to tell them of the latest development. I tried to think of a rational explanation._

_Maybe I was being pranked by Emma again, but while I cold see Rikki talking her into it (barely), Emma's not the type to pull the same trick twice! It would have been an obvious giveaway, but then again, Emma had to have been in the water too, so if she's up there back where I left everyone else, even with Rikki's powers, there'd be no way she's made the trip._

_Something was wrong, and those constant chills up my spine, sensations of dread, my "visit" from Gracie, and as of late, knowing or seeing things that appear out of nowhere..._

_I was in denial, pure and simple. And whatever I was in denial about, I got the eerie feeling that I was just about to find out._


End file.
